Studying mathematics in high school, I found out it is not going to provide satisfaction for my academic life. Our high school did not cover human science curriculum and most of the students were encouraged to continue their education in mathematics. Receiving advice from my literature teacher, I found out many unfortunate circumstances in Iranian society are derived from lack of knowledge in human science. While studying in pre-university as a mathematic student, I succeeded to rank 115 in national university entrance exam in human science and subsequently entered Shiraz University. The high level of academic discipline in Shiraz university provided a chance for learning the basics of law and to put in another way, becoming an engineer in law. While confronting a vast array of ideas in bachelor classes, I finished my bachelor, ranked 8th in 19th national law Olympiad and learned tolerance and mutual understanding as a guiding habitude. In law, many students are inclined to major in branches like “private law”, “criminal law” or “international trade law” which are related to better market. At the moment I had the idea that “earning more” should not be the only criteria for choosing master major, considering “public law” meeting any need to flourish because of its wide linkage with other fields. My doubts were blurred by entering Shahid Beheshti University and attending joyful classes of many knowledgeable professors. Having gained an enough linguistic competency in French during bachelor, I finished my master thesis under “the conceptual development of the administrative police and criteria for its legality” focusing on French law. The thesis was nominated and selected as chosen in the 17th festival of students’ thesis. The relevant articles were published in journals like “administrative law”, “journal of modern research on administrative law” and “comparative public law”. Getting into PhD program through privilege of “talented student” program was not satisfying at the moment. I have been told several times by other students that this feeling of indolence would remain until the dissertation phase started. However, being engaged as a PhD student was accompanied by engaging in valuable legal projects carried under the management of legal deputy of judiciary or presidency, among them “codification of judicial security bill”, “classification of court decisions” in Judiciary Research Center, “legal challenges of using Artificial Intelligence” can be mentioned. This cooperation while challenging my mind in understanding some of the practical legal issues, was an elegant way to train my researching capacity. During my bachelor, I was admitted to the Iranian Central bar and practicing law brought a new kind of perspective in my legal life regarding the behaviors of judges and parties to a case. During my years of studying law, I was well informed that the legal society is suffering from formalism and positivism both which plays a role to make law devoid of its nature and purpose, ie being just and efficient. The introduction of interdisciplinary studies has started to deal with the issue, but nothing has been changed practically. Therefore, I decided to work on “the role of emotion in judicial decision making” as my dissertation topic. In my research, I am trying to comprehend the interaction between law and emotion and how to regulate emotions conducting a semi-structured qualitative interview with judges. I’ve been honored to spend a 6-month visit as a visiting researcher under the supervision of Professor Matthias Mahlmann in Zurich University. A period which benefiting from Hami’s fund and its kindness and support through the pass has changed it into a unique opportunity for learning and widening my horizons. After becoming a PhD graduate, I hopefully suppose that my dissertation would provide a theoretical basis valuable of being considered as a guide in normative reforms in legal system, Judge’s constant training and many other areas. It also might be a pioneer force in founding a discourse on “law and emotion” in higher education.
