In November 2023, I applied for the SILBERSALZ Science & Media Institute, a 10-month training program offering workshops on science communication, storytelling, production, and pitching. This experience was incredibly enriching, and I am deeply grateful to my wonderful peers and the dedicated team at the Silbersalz Institute.

The program aims to connect scientists with artists. In my application, I proposed focusing on cosmology, particularly my research on dark matter and primordial black holes. However, when my mentors and classmates learned about my journey as an exiled scientist, they suggested creating a documentary to tell my story. While it was a compelling idea, I opted not to pursue it for two key reasons: documentaries typically focus on individual stories, whereas I aim to raise awareness about the thousands of displaced and exiled scholars worldwide, and creating a documentary requires a large team and significant funding. Instead, I decided to focus on a digital graphic novel.

In October 2024, I presented my project, "Void of Voids", at the Silbersalz Festival in Halle (Saale), Germany. If you're curious about the title’s connection to cosmology, I invite you to watch my 7-minute presentation and explore the accompanying story.

A special thanks goes to Jacopo Sacquegno, my talented artist partner, whose remarkable illustrations brought this project to life. I also deeply appreciate the guidance and support of my mentor, Tom Millen, throughout this journey.

To further develop Void of Voids, I am seeking funding to hire a web designer and illustrators to tell the stories of at-risk scholars. My primary goal is to raise awareness within the scientific community about the challenges faced by these scholars, encouraging policymakers to facilitate their visa and residency processes. Additionally, I aim to inform the public about the invaluable contributions displaced scientists can make to their host countries.

For me, it was natural to connect my journey as an exiled scholar to my research in cosmology. I believe every scholar can similarly link their personal story of displacement to their science. If you’d like to learn more about these stories, please support this initiative by sharing this post on LinkedIn. If you are aware of any science communication grants I can apply for or know illustrators who might be interested in contributing to this project, even on a volunteer basis, I would greatly appreciate your help.

Let’s work together to amplify the voices of at-risk scholars and make a meaningful impact.

P. S: If you want to know more about at-risk scholars, please follow my academic freedom activities. 

P. S: It will be great to make a documentary as well.  

As a child in Iran, I found magic in sleeping under the star-filled sky in my grandparents' yard, where the sky felt close and the stars became my companions. Those summer nights sparked my passion for astronomy, shaping my journey to becoming a cosmologist. Driven by this fascination, I earned a PhD in Cosmology and became a university professor in Iran, dedicating my career to uncovering the universe's mysteries.

Everything seemed manageable under the constraints of life under the dictatorship, and I found solace in sharing the joy of astronomy with my students. However, in September 2022, while on a research visit in Mexico, the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests erupted in Iran. Thousands of miles from home, I stood in solidarity with my people by resigning from my faculty position. This act of defiance, however, came at a heavy price. Within hours, my family in Iran received a chilling threat from the regime's intelligence service.

And, I was forced to stay in EXILE.

With just a fragile visa and a few dollars in my pocket, with no bank account due to sanctions, I found myself confronting the overwhelming challenge of starting over in a foreign land. The weight of displacement was profound, an emptiness that felt insurmountable.

As a cosmologist, it reminded me of the vast voids in space - regions with no stars, no galaxies, only a haunting absence. Yet, this feeling was even more visceral, more personal. It brought me back to my visit to the Jewish Museum in Berlin, where I stood in the solemn emptiness of the "Void of Voids.", a space that seemed to echo the pain of uprooted lives and lost identities.

This was more than a physical void—it was the emotional gravity of being unmoored, a stark reminder of the resilience it takes to rebuild when all seems lost.

I shared how the voids in space are vast, empty spaces. But what's truly astonishing is what we've discovered within them - galaxies, shining brightly amidst the darkness. It's like finding a glimmer of hope in despair.

And that's exactly what I dream this project will become - a beacon of light in the void for displaced scholars. Just as galaxies defy the emptiness of space, this project will defy the isolation and struggles faced by those who, like me, have been uprooted from their homes. I hope that through sharing their stories, we can bring awareness to their plight and ignite a sense of solidarity within the scientific community and also share their science in a simple form understandable for everyone.

There's a Persian poem that resonates deeply with me: 

"Wherever I am, the sky is mine." 

However, my soul aches for the nights of my beloved Iran, where every constellation felt like a familiar friend.

To gaze upon the stars in the sky of our homeland is the ultimate dream of displaced scholars. Let’s make this dream a reality through the digital graphic novel, "Void of Voids".