Along with Ali Khamenei and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Jassbi was a co-founder of Azad University network which is among the biggest NGOs in Iran. He was elected as its first president in January 1983 and served in this position for nearly 30 years. He announced his retirement from Azad University in November 2011 and officially resigned on 17 January 2012, but remained as one of the members of the board of directors of the university.