In September 1928, Reza Shah Pahlavi launched one of his most ambitious educational reforms: sending groups of talented Iranian students abroad to study in Europe. Ghaffari, showing exceptional academic promise, was selected among the first group of 110 Iranian scholars chosen for this mission. His cohort included several individuals who would become major political or intellectual figures in Iran—including Mehdi Bazargan, Ali Shaygan, Mehdi Azar, Karim Sanjabi, and Gholam Hossein Seddighi.
Ghaffari initially settled in France, where he completed intensive language studies before entering the University of Nancy. There, he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics. His exceptional performance earned him a place at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), one of the world’s leading centers for mathematics and physics. Under the mentorship of French mathematicians and physicists, he pursued doctoral research in applied mathematics.
Ghaffari’s doctoral thesis addressed complex problems in statistical physics, specifically relating to the mathematical formulation of Brownian motion, a topic Albert Einstein had revolutionized in 1905. Earlier, Russian professor Andrei Kronkoff and English scholar Coleman had transformed Einstein’s conceptual work into a formal mathematical equation, known as the Coleman-Kronkoff equation. Ghaffari’s task was to find solutions to this equation—a project that required a profound understanding of differential equations and probability theory.
The presence of Mohammad Ali Mojtahid Gilani and Gholam Hossein Seddighi at his thesis defense symbolized the recognition of his work within Iranian intellectual circles. His successful completion of the degree marked the beginning of a scientific career that would soon gain international attention.
