Islamic Azad University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Islamic Azad University

دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi
Seal of the Islamic Azad University
Other name	IAU, Azad University
Motto	No official motto Unofficial mottoes: 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	Bijan Ranjbar (acting)
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
Doctoral students	~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

The Islamic Azad University (IAU) is a very large private university system. It is based in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the biggest university systems in the world.

A Look at Its History

The Islamic Azad University was started in 1982. It was founded by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. This university quickly grew to be very large. It became one of the biggest places for higher education globally.

IAU is a private university. This means it does not get money from the government. Instead, it gets donations and charges fees for classes. The degrees from this university are officially recognized.

The university has many campuses. It has branches all over Iran. It also has four branches in other countries. These are in the U.A.E., the United Kingdom, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.

How the University is Run

The Islamic Azad University has different groups that help run it. These groups make sure everything works well. They include:

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

Important People in Charge

The Board of Founders has nine members. Some important people on this board are Ali Akbar Velayati and Abdollah Jassbi.

The Board of Trustees also has several members. These include professors and members from the founding board. Representatives from government ministries are also part of this board. The university president is the secretary of this board.

The President is in charge of the university's daily operations. The president is chosen for a four-year term.

Past Presidents of IAU

Here are some of the people who have been president of the university:

President	Years in Charge	Studied At	Main Subject
Abdollah Jassbi	1982–2012	Aston University	Industrial Engineering
Farhad Daneshjoo	2012–2013	University of Westminster	Civil Engineering
Hamid Mirzadeh	2013–2017	University of New South Wales	Polymer Engineering
Ali Mohammad Noorian (acting)	2017–2017	University of Wales	Electrical Engineering
Farhad Rahbar	2017–2018	University of Tehran	Economics
Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi	2018–2025	Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology	Applied Physics

University Departments

The Islamic Azad University has many different departments. These departments help manage various parts of the university. They cover everything from research to student life.

Some of the main departments include:

• Research, Technology, and Innovation
• Student and Cultural Affairs
• Financial and Administrative Affairs
• International Affairs
• Science, Engineering, and Agriculture
• Medical Sciences
• Humanities and Arts
• General Education and Skills Training

Campuses and Locations

The Islamic Azad University has a huge number of campuses. It has 31 main university branches across Iran. These branches have 367 campuses in total. There are also four branches outside of Iran.

The university also has many other facilities. These include research centers, hospitals, and sports areas. It welcomes students from Iran and other countries.

Main Campuses in Tehran

Tehran, the capital city, has many important IAU campuses:

Schools for Younger Students

The university also runs many schools for younger students. These are called Sama Schools. There are over 1000 Sama Schools. They include pre-schools, primary schools, and high schools.

International Branches

IAU has branches in other countries to help with global learning.

• The Azad University in Oxford (AUO) in the UK was set up in 2004. It helps with international projects and supports students.
• A branch was opened in Dubai in 1995.
• The university also has offices in Russia, Italy, Germany, France, UAE, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.

How Students Join the University

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

The university accepts about 320,000 new students each year. Many students study for bachelor's degrees.

What Students Study

In the 2021–2022 school year, students were spread across different fields:

Types of Degrees

Students at IAU can earn different types of degrees:

Medical Facilities

The Islamic Azad University has many medical centers. These include:

• 107 branches focused on medical sciences.
• Over 1600 faculty members teaching medical subjects.
• More than 43,000 medical sciences students.
• 72 different medical majors.

The university also has 10 hospitals in Iran. These hospitals are used for teaching medical students. Some of these hospitals are Farhikhtegan Hospital and Bou-Ali Hospital in Tehran.

University Libraries

The Islamic Azad University has a large library system. It manages libraries for over 360 branches across the country. These libraries help more than 1.2 million students, teachers, and researchers.

University Rankings

The Islamic Azad University is often ranked among the top universities.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

In the 2023 Best Global Universities Ranking:

• Global Ranking: 394
• Regional (Asia) Ranking: 77
• Country Ranking: 2

The university also ranks high in specific subjects:

• Mechanical Engineering: 4th
• Polymer Science: 9th
• Civil Engineering: 14th
• Mathematics: 29th
• Chemical Engineering: 36th
• Energy and Fuels: 40th
• Artificial Intelligence: 55th

Other Rankings

• CWUR (Center for World University Rankings) 2021-2022: World Rank: 372, National Rank: 1.
• SCImago 2013: International Rank: 87, National Rank: 1.

Images for kids

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  Science and Research, Tehran

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  Science and Research, Tehran

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  Mashhad

• 

  Najafabad

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  Lahijan

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  Roudehen

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  Isfahan

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  Dehaqan

See Also

• List of universities in Iran
• University system
• Higher Education in Iran