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Islamic Azad University
  • دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی

Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi
Islamic Azad University logo (2).png
Seal of the Islamic Azad University
Other name
IAU, Azad University
Motto No official motto

Unofficial mottoes:
اطلب العلم من المهد الى اللحد (Arabic)
ز گهواره تا گور دانش بجوی
آرمان ایرانی برای جهانی شدن
یادگیری و زندگی

(Persian)
Motto in English
No official motto

Unofficial mottoes include:

Seek Knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave
Iranian Aspirations for Globalization
Learn and Live
Type Private university system
Established May 21, 1982; 43 years ago (1982-05-21)
Founder Abdollah Jassbi
Academic affiliations
SCRC
MSRT
MOHME
AUAP
ASAIHL
FUIW
IAU
IAUP
Endowment $10 billion (2023)
Budget $0.7 billion (2023)
Chairman Ali Akbar Velayati
President Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi
Vice-president Ali Sorouri-majd
Academic staff
53,789 { 21,273 (Full-time) & 286 (Part-time) + 32,230 (Visiting and Adjunct) } (2023)
Administrative staff
29,117 (2023)
Students 1,177,977 (2023)
Undergraduates ~916,654
Postgraduates ~199,126
~62,197 (including professional doctorate, medicine and residency)
Location
  • Iran
  • United Kingdom
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Lebanon
  • Afghanistan
Campus 33 Universities (2 Independent and 31 state university in 367 branches) and 1,051 Sama Schools under direct administration (2023)
Media Farhikhteghan Newspaper, Azad News Agency (ANA), Isca News Agency
Colours          Dark and light blue
Sporting affiliations
  • Azad University of Tehran Basketball Club
  • Azad University of Tehran Cycling Club
  • Azad University Giant Team
Islamic Azad University logo.PNG

The Islamic Azad University (IAU) is a huge private university system. It is based in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the biggest university systems in the whole world. Besides Iran, it has campuses in other countries. These include Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom.

History of Islamic Azad University

The Islamic Azad University was started in 1982. It was approved by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani helped to found it. Since then, it has grown a lot. It is now one of the largest higher education places globally. The university aims to provide "higher education for all."

Today, thousands of students join IAU every year. The university does not get money from the government. Instead, it uses donations and student fees. The degrees from this university are recognized by the Iranian government.

How Islamic Azad University is Run

The Islamic Azad University is managed by different groups. These groups work together to make sure the university runs well. The main parts of its leadership are:

  • The Board of Founders
  • The Board of Trustees
  • The President of the university
  • The University Council

University Presidents

Here are some of the people who have led the university:

President Years in Charge Where They Studied What They Studied
Abdollah Jassbi 1982–2012 United Kingdom Aston University Industrial Engineering and Management
Farhad Daneshjoo 2012–2013 United Kingdom University of Westminster Civil and Earthquake Engineering
Hamid Mirzadeh 2013–2017 Australia University of New South Wales Polymer Engineering and Biomaterials
Ali Mohammad Noorian (acting) 2017–2017 United Kingdom University of Wales Electrical Engineering and Physics
Farhad Rahbar 2017–2018 Iran University of Tehran Theoretical Economics
Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi 2018–present Russia Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Applied Physics and Advanced Materials

Campuses and Locations

The Islamic Azad University has many campuses. It has 31 branches across Iran with 367 campuses. It also has four branches in other countries. These campuses have research centers, hospitals, and sports areas. The university welcomes students from Iran and other countries.

There are also 1051 Sama schools linked to the university. These schools offer education from pre-school to high school. There are also 118 colleges for skills training.

Main Campuses in Tehran

The city of Tehran has several important Islamic Azad University campuses:

Branch Type Started Number of Students
Science and Research Independent Comprehensive 1984 ~ 50,000
Central Tehran Comprehensive 1982 ~ 50,000
South Tehran Comprehensive 1985 ~ 40,000
North Tehran Comprehensive 1985 ~ 40,000
West Tehran Semi Comprehensive 1994 ~ 20,000
East Tehran Semi Comprehensive 2001 ~ 10,000
Medical Tehran Medicine, Dental, Pharmaceutical Science & Biology 1985 ~ 25,000
Electronic Electronic 2008 ~ 20,000
Fereshtegan International People with special needs 2019 ~ 1,000
Farshchian Islamic Iranian Art Islamic Iranian Art 2018 ~ 1,000

Campuses Outside Iran

The Islamic Azad University also has branches in other countries.

  • The Azad University in Oxford (AUO) in the UK opened in 2004. It helps with international projects and supports students and staff.
  • A branch was opened in Dubai in 1995.

The university also has offices in countries like Russia, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, UAE, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.

Becoming a Student (Admissions)

From 1982 to 2013, students took a special entrance exam for Islamic Azad University. After 2013, this exam joined with the national public university exam. Some students who pass this exam might not have to pay tuition fees. However, most students pay tuition, which can change based on the program and location.

The university accepts about 320,000 new students each year. This includes students for PhD, Master's, Bachelor's, and Associate degrees.

What Students Study

Here is what students studied in 2021–2022:

Field of study Percent
Humanities and Social Sciences 50.11%
Engineering and Technology 32.32%
Arts and Architecture 8.72%
Medical Science and Veterinary Medicine 4.46%
Basic Sciences 2.97%
Agriculture and Natural Resources 1.42%
Total 100%

Degrees Students Get

Here are the types of degrees students earned in 2021–2022:

Level of study (degree) Percent
Associate 28.02%
Bachelor's 56.30%
Master's 14.87%
Professional Doctorate 0.44%
Ph.D. 0.35%
Total 100%

Medical Facilities

The Islamic Azad University has many medical centers. It has 107 branches for medical sciences. There are 1669 faculty members and 43,728 medical students. The university has 10 hospitals in Iran with 825 active beds. These hospitals are used for teaching medical students.

Some of these hospitals include:

  • Farhikhtegan Hospital in Tehran, Iran
  • Bou-Ali (Avicenna) Hospital in Tehran, Iran
  • Amiralmomenin Hospital in Tehran, Iran
  • Javaheri Hospital in Tehran, Iran
  • 22 Baham Hospital in Mashhad, Iran
  • Aria Hospital in Mashhad, Iran

University Library

The Islamic Azad University has a large library system. It manages libraries for over 360 university branches. These libraries help more than 1.2 million students and researchers. They offer access to books, articles, and digital resources. The goal is to make it easy to find scientific information. It also helps to encourage reading.

University Rankings

The Islamic Azad University is highly ranked by different organizations. These rankings show how well the university performs in teaching and research.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The university is ranked globally, in Asia, and within Iran.

  • In 2023, it was ranked 394th globally.
  • It was ranked 77th in Asia and 2nd in Iran.

It also ranks high in specific subjects:

  • Mechanical Engineering: 4th (2023)
  • Civil Engineering: 14th (2023)
  • Chemical Engineering: 36th (2023)
  • Energy and Fuels: 40th (2023)
  • Artificial Intelligence: 55th (2023)

ISC Rankings (Top Branches)

Here are some of the top branches of the Islamic Azad University based on rankings:

Top 10 branches of the Islamic Azad University in 2010
Rank Branch Score
1 Tabriz 4.27
2 Mashhad 3.51
3 Central Tehran 3.06
4 Karaj 2.61
5 North Tehran 2.48
6 Najafabad 1.37
7 Isfahan (Khorasgan) 1.35
8 Shahrekord 1.30
9 Quchan 1.26
10 Ardabil 1.19
Top 10 branches of the Islamic Azad University in 2011
Rank Branch Score
1 Science and Research 100
2 Mashhad 23.75
3 Karaj 18.53
4 South Tehran 18.21
5 Isfahan (Khorasgan) 13.5
6 North Tehran NA
7 Najafabad NA
8 Qazvin NA
9 Central Tehran NA
10 Yazd NA
Top 10 branches of the Islamic Azad University in 2012
Rank Branch Score
1 Science and Research 100
2 Karaj 99.85
3 Mashhad 99.58
4 Tabriz 99.33
5 Isfahan (Khorasgan) 98.58
6 Arak 96.82
7 North Tehran 95.51
8 Saveh 95.10
9 Shahreza 94.58
10 South Tehran 94.06

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See also

  • List of Islamic educational institutions
  • University system
  • Colleges and universities
  • Higher Education in Iran
  • List of universities in Iran - including list of IAU branches
  • Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch
  • Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch
  • Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch
  • Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch
  • Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch
  • Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch
  • Islamic Azad University, UAE Branch
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