The Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University honored the veteran book publisher, Professor Seyedidollah Sotoudeh.

The Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University honored Professor Seyyedidollah Sotoudeh, a veteran of the book publishing sector in Lorestan Province and the manager of Shapour Khwast Publications, in appreciation of his years of effort in the cultural, artistic, and book publishing fields of the province.

According to the Public Relations of Lorestan University, on Tuesday, June 15th of the current year, a ceremony was held in the Martyr Mirbahresi Hall of the university to honor Professor Seyyedidollah Sotoudeh by the Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University and the Association for Cultural and Communication Studies (Lorestan Office), in collaboration with the Association of Sociology of Lorestan Province, the Iranology Foundation (Lorestan Branch), the Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs, and the Deputy for Research and Technology of Lorestan University.

The ceremony was held as part of the Lorestan Nameh series of meetings, and it is planned for such meetings to continue in the future.

In this ceremony, the book publishing veteran, Professor Sotoudeh, in his speech, shared memories of his teaching days and provided explanations about Shapour Khwast Publications and the efforts made in collecting thousands of documents related to the history of Lorestan.

He explained that he currently possesses over five thousand documents and that provincial officials need to support Shapour Khwast Publications so that these documents can be used to produce valuable books and be made available to the researchers and scholars of the province.

These documents belong to various historical periods such as Qajar, Zand, Afshar, and Safavid eras; a portion of the documents are also specific to the developments during the Constitutional Revolution in Lorestan Province.

Professor Sotoudeh holds several influential roles in the cultural sphere of Lorestan Province

Dr. Ali Nouri, the Director of the Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University, stated in his speech: "Professor Sotoudeh has several roles; the role of a teacher, which holds a high position in the culture of the province; another is the role of a researcher and document scholar; the transformation of documents into usable research texts is indebted to the extensive efforts of Professor Sotoudeh at Shapour Khwast Publications; he is a great publisher who has managed to publish 900 titles; and finally, his role as a supporter, promoter, and preserver of Lorestan's culture, each of which warrants a grand commemoration."

Expanding the connection between the university and the specialized cultural and artistic circles of the province

Dr. Mohammad Reza Hassani-Jalilian, Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, emphasized in his speech that honoring elders should be taken more seriously.

While expressing his gratitude to Professor Seyyedidollah Sotoudeh, he stressed that the Literature department or a department like History can effectively utilize the documents and the document archive of Professor Sotoudeh, which should be undertaken.

Dr. Jalilian expressed hope that such meetings will be held more specialized in the future to expand the connection between the university and the specialized cultural, artistic, social, and literary circles of the province.

He thanked the management of the Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University (Dr. Ali Nouri) for the arrangements made for this meeting.

The Lorestan Nameh series of meetings will continue

Dr. Masoud Zamanimoghadam, Director of the Association for Cultural and Communication Studies (Lorestan Office), stated in his speech: "We intend to pursue these meetings in future sessions, both in-person and virtual, at the Lorestanology Center of the University and the Iranian Association for Cultural and Communication Studies (Lorestan Office) as part of the Lorestan Nameh series of meetings."

The presence of academics in the public sphere should be expanded

The Director of the Association of Sociology of Lorestan Province, in a brief statement, said: "The presence of university professors in the public sphere of society is diminishing; we expect the Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University to strengthen this presence; the activism of academics in the public social and cultural arena should be expanded."

Amin Roshanpour thanked the Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University for organizing this ceremony.

Roshanpour expressed hope that such meetings and ceremonies will continue in the future.

A good book is a medium that provides insight and knowledge to the reader

In this ceremony, Dr. Kianoush Rostami, a journalist and the editor-in-chief of Simarreh Weekly, stated in his speech: "A book is a medium; a book is one of the oldest written means of communication in the world; a book is still enduring and has not lost its function; of course, I mean a good book; a good book is one that provides insight and knowledge to the reader."

Dr. Rostami cited the words of Ferdowsi, the great epic poet of Iran, and explained: "Ferdowsi says: 'He who is knowledgeable is powerful'; meaning, whoever is more knowledgeable will undoubtedly be more powerful; a good book makes a person more knowledgeable and consequently more capable; therefore, a good book, which is considered a medium, functions to promote knowledge and awareness; wherever a medium flourishes, knowledge also increases."

In another part of his remarks, he elaborated on a portion of the history of journalism in Lorestan Province.

Dr. Rostami stated: "Shapour Khwast Publications is a vast cultural institution in western Iran; for this reason, officials must provide more serious and greater support to such active institutions in the field of books and culture; I believe Shapour Khwast Publications itself is a university and an important cultural potential and capacity for Lorestan Province."

The editor-in-chief of Simarreh Weekly, in another part of his speech, presented specialized points regarding media economics and media literacy.

This journalist explained that most of the books published by Shapour Khwast Publications are of national caliber, and we should be grateful for this valuable cultural capacity in Lorestan Province.

A Doctor of Journalism stated: "Shapour Khwast Publications is a cultural complex that for over two decades has played a significant role in expanding written culture and introducing the intellectual and historical heritage of this land {Lorestan}; the center established by Professor Sotoudeh has so far published 900 titles on various subjects; this is a considerable number; the majority of books published by Shapour Khwast Publications are good books, and this is commendable."

Shapour Khwast's activity is an example of institutionalization and continuity of institutional activity

Dr. Mojtaba Tarkarani, a member of the Association of Sociology of Lorestan Province, stated in his speech: "The over 20-year history of Shapour Khwast Publications and the publication of 900 titles in Lorestan Province is a very valuable endeavor; this point highlights the importance of the concept of institutionalization."

He added: "One of the harms is the lack or weakness of institutionalization and institutional continuity in the province; when a book publishing institution in our province has been continuously active for over 20 years, from a sociological perspective, it indicates institutionalization and continuity of institutional activity, which is itself very valuable."

A Doctor of Sociology explained: "Mr. Sotoudeh is not just a publisher; due to his extensive historical knowledge and broad connections with some old families of Khorramabad, he has acquired a high skill in document research, which is a very valuable skill."

Tarkarani stated: "Mr. Sotoudeh is a cultural activist, but it should not be forgotten that he belongs to a cultural and bureaucratic lineage; his lineage, which was cultural and bureaucratic, has continued in him; this in itself is an asset."

A member of the Lorestan Sociology Association, citing the theories of Bourdieu (a French sociologist), noted: "Capital is of several types: cultural, social, symbolic, economic; the prominent characteristic of Mr. Sotoudeh is that he has been able to transfer cultural capital generationally and transform it into social and symbolic capital; the establishment of Shapour Khwast Publications has been in this direction."

Dr. Tarkarani emphasized: "We must preserve and continue cultural, social, and symbolic capital that is compatible with the modern world, and these capitals should be able to be converted into economic capital, which is the economy of culture."

He stated: "Mr. Sotoudeh's activities have contributed to the strengthening of the written and documented collective memory in Lorestan; we must help this volume of documents serve cultural development; the concept of cultural development is different from the concept of cultural regression; documents should not serve identities incompatible with the modern world, which results in cultural regression; what is important is moving forward in the path of cultural development."

This sociologist thanked the Lorestanology Center of Lorestan University.

It is worth mentioning that the secretariat of the aforementioned meeting was undertaken by Dr. Masoud Zamanimoghadam (sociologist), a faculty member of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities of Lorestan University.

Dr. Zamanimoghadam is the Director of the Association for Cultural and Communication Studies in Lorestan Province.

The members present at the meeting each expressed their views on cultural and social activities related to publishing, books, and non-governmental organizations.

An Enduring Contribution to the History of Lorestan

Professor Seyyedidollah Sotoudeh (born 1946 in Khorramabad) is one of the prominent and influential figures in the culture, publishing, and historical research of Lorestan, and his name is firmly linked with historical document research, documentation of Lorestan's history, and the expansion of book and publishing culture in Lorestan.

Sotoudeh is a researcher who, relying on his empirical knowledge, access to valuable historical documents, and years of diligent effort, has made an enduring contribution to illuminating the less-known aspects of Lorestan's history, particularly during the Qajar and early Pahlavi periods.

Sotoudeh is the heir to a precious treasure trove of documents, correspondence, letters, decrees, and historical records that, through his diligence and cultural generosity, have been made available to researchers and have become a credible source for the study of Lorestan's local history.

One of the most significant manifestations of his services is the establishment and management of Shapour Khwast Publications in Khorramabad.

This publishing house, due to Professor Sotoudeh's cultural, research-oriented, and supportive approach, has provided dozens of Lorestani researchers and writers with the opportunity to benefit from it in understanding and studying the history and culture of Lorestan.