Islamic Azad University

Headquartered in Tehran, Iran, the Islamic Azad University is the world's sixth-largest university. It was approved and ratified by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution in 1982, having been founded and established by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.^[8][9][10] It has an enrollment of 1 million students.^[11][12] Since its inception in 1982, it has grown both physically and academically to become one of the largest higher education institutions globally. Over the years, IAU has promoted 'higher education for all' as its key objective. IAU has two independent and 31 state university branches across Iran, and four branches in other countries: the U.A.E., the United Kingdom, Lebanon and Afghanistan.^[13] Over the years, the university has accumulated assets estimated to be worth $20–25 billion.^[1][12]

The Islamic Azad University's activities quickly expanded throughout the country, so that today thousands of students are enrolling every year. Not relying on government funding, it receives charitable donations and charges tuition fees.^[12]

The certificates issued by this university are recognized by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and Ministry of Health and Medical Education for medical education.^[13]

Iran's supreme leader declared the financial endowment of Islamic Azad University was "religiously illegitimate and unlawful", prompting a change within the administration of the institution.^[14]

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

The board consists of nine people, including Ali Akbar Velayati (Head of Board), Abdollah Jassbi, Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, Hassan Khomeini, Mohsen Qomi, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Abdul-Karim Mousavi Ardebili, Hamid Mirzadeh and one vacant position.

Members include:

• Three members of full-time associated or higher rank professor faculty of the universities approved by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution (Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Farhad Rahbar, Fereidoun Azizi)
• Three members of the founding board, including at least one member of the clergy (Ali Akbar Velayati (Head of Board), Abdollah Jassbi, Hassan Khomeini)
• The Ministers of Science, Research and Technology and Health and Medical Education or their representatives
• The head of the Supreme Leader's representative in universities or his deputy
• The president of the university (Board Secretary)

The administration of the university is the Rector of the University Board of Trustees and approved the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and the decision of the President of the board of trustees is appointed for a term of four years. All Islamic Azad University campuses are governed by the Regents of the university.

President	Tenure	Alma mater	Speciality
Abdollah Jassbi	1982–2012	Aston University	Industrial Engineering and Management
Farhad Daneshjoo	2012–2013	University of Westminster	Civil and Earthquake Engineering
Hamid Mirzadeh	2013–2017	University of New South Wales	Polymer Engineering and Biomaterials
Ali Mohammad Noorian (acting)	2017–2017	University of Wales	Electrical Engineering and Physics
Farhad Rahbar	2017–2018	University of Tehran	Theoretical Economics
Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi	2018–present	Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology	Applied Physics and Advanced Materials

The Islamic Azad University has two independent^[15] and 31 state university branches with 367 campuses in Iran, and four branches overseas, as well as a range of research centers, hospitals, laboratories, workshops, sports facilities, recreational areas and ICT facilities. It now welcomes not only local but also international students. There are 1051 Sama schools affiliated to the university, along with 118 skill and entrepreneurship colleges.^[1][16]

These campuses are under the direct control of the board of trustees and the President. Branches are listed below.

Vice Presidency for General Education and Skills Training:

• 118 skill and entrepreneurship colleges
• Skills Training Schools

Vice Presidency for General Education and Skills Training:

• Sama Schools (1051 pre schools, primary schools, secondary schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and university-preparatory schools)

The Azad University in Oxford (AUO) at the outskirts of the city of Oxford in the UK, was established in 2004 to support IAU's international collaboration activities. Through its links with the UK universities and research centers, the AUO provides services to the students and staff of IAU as well as other students and organisations around the world.^[17]

In 1995, a branch was opened in Dubai.^[18]

The Islamic Azad University has international offices in Russia, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, UAE, Lebanon and Afghanistan.^[19]

IAU has 31 state universities (provincial universities) located throughout the provinces of Iran. Digits in parentheses indicate the number of branches in current province.

From the establishment of Islamic Azad University in 1982 to 2013, the admission process of students was through Islamic Azad University's entrance exam which was designed, held, and scored independently by the private university system. Post-2013, its entrance exam was merged with the Public University System. It holds the national entrance exam and some students who get admitted through this process would be exempt from paying any tuitions. However, Islamic Azad University requires tuition which varies by different factors such as program, degree, and location.^[20][21]

The university accepts nearly 320,000 students annually (10,000 PhD, 3,000 Professional Doctorate and Medicine, 57,000 Masters, 200,000 Bachelors and 50,000 Associates).

In the academic year 2021–2022:

In the academic year 2021–2022:

IAU' medical centers include:^[1]

(Not included Veterinary Medicine and Clinical and Health Psychology)

• 107 branches in medical sciences
• 1669 faculty members
• 43,728 medical sciences students
• 72 majors in different levels

There are 825 active beds in 10 hospitals in Iran, and has 1273 approval beds. Each medical center serves as the primary teaching site for that campus's medical school. Some hospitals are listed below:

• Farhikhtegan Hospital in Tehran, Iran^[22]
• 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
• Yazd Hospital
• Khatamalanbia Hospital
• Rhazes Hospital
• Katalem Hospital

The Islamic Azad University Libraries Affairs is an essential part of the IAU in higher education and research in Iran. It manages various libraries for over 360 branches of Islamic Azad Universities nationwide. These libraries provide valuable services to more than 1.2 million students, faculty, and researchers of these branches, including access to information resources, books, articles, and digital resources. This Section aims to create suitable platforms for easy access to scientific resources and promote the reading culture in the academic community.

The IAU branches are publishing 508 scientific journals, of which 145 are in the English Language. [2].

2023 Best Global Universities Ranking^[23]

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

Subject ranking

• Agricultural Sciences: 117
• Artificial Intelligence: 55
• Biology and Biochemistry: 299
• Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology: 136
• Chemical Engineering: 36
• Chemistry: 136
• Civil Engineering: 14
• Clinical Medicine: 644
• Computer Science: 234
• Condensed Matter Physics: 124
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: 110
• Energy and Fuels: 40
• Engineering: 37
• Environment/Ecology: 367
• Food Science and Technology: 84
• Geosciences: 385
• Materials Science: 267
• Mathematics: 29
• Mechanical Engineering: 4
• Optics: 83
• Pharmacology and Toxicology: 181
• Physical Chemistry: 90
• Physics: 200
• Plant and Animal Science: 356
• Polymer Science: 9
• Water Resources: 30

2022 Best Global Universities Ranking^[23]

• Global Ranking: 434
• Regional (Asia) Ranking: 75
• Country Ranking: 2

Subject ranking

• Agricultural Sciences: 114
• Biology and Biochemistry: 379
• Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology: 152
• Chemical Engineering: 36
• Chemistry: 145
• Civil Engineering: 15
• Clinical Medicine: 694
• Computer Science: 160
• Condensed Matter Physics: 116
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: 115
• Energy and Fuels: 36
• Engineering: 44
• Environment/Ecology: 378
• Food Science and Technology: 77
• Geosciences: 346
• Materials Science: 244
• Mathematics: 45
• Mechanical Engineering: 3
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: 247
• Optics: 118
• Pharmacology and Toxicology: 229
• Physical Chemistry: 98
• Physics: 205
• Plant and Animal Science: 389
• Polymer Science: 27

2021 Best Global Universities Ranking^[23]

• Global Ranking: 445
• Regional (Asia) Ranking: 72
• Country Ranking: 2

Subject ranking

• Agricultural Sciences: 117
• Biology and Biochemistry: 441
• Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology: 176
• Chemical Engineering: 29
• Chemistry: 110
• Civil Engineering: 23
• Clinical Medicine: 725
• Computer Science: 193
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: 105
• Energy and Fuels: 39
• Engineering: 47
• Environment/Ecology: 373
• Materials Science: 232
• Mathematics: 31
• Mechanical Engineering: 1
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: 204
• Physics: 228
• Plant and Animal Science: 397

2020 Best Global Universities Ranking^[23]

• Global Ranking: 454
• Regional (Asia) Ranking: 69
• Country Ranking: 2

Subject ranking

• Agricultural Sciences: 84
• Biology and Biochemistry: 466
• Chemistry: 121
• Civil Engineering: 35
• Computer Science: 110
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: 93
• Engineering: 44
• Materials Science: 225
• Mathematics: 29
• Mechanical Engineering: 5
• Physics: 235
• Plant and Animal Science: 432

2018 Best Global Universities Ranking^[23]

• Global Ranking: 497
• Regional (Asia) Ranking: 76
• Country Ranking: 2

Subject ranking

• Agricultural Sciences: 132
• Chemistry: 136
• Computer Science: 119
• Engineering: 38
• Materials Science: 104
• Mathematics: 21
• Physics: 369

2021-2022 Ranking:^[24]

• World Rank: 372
• National Rank: 1
• Quality of Education Rank: NA
• Alumni Employment Rank: NA
• Quality of Faculty Rank: NA
• Research Performance Rank: 342
• Overall Score: 75.7

2017: International rank: 938, National rank: 5, Regional Rank: 24 (SRBIAU)^[25]

2013: International rank: 87, National rank: 1, Regional Rank: 1^[26]

2012: International rank: 231, National rank: 1, Regional Rank: 2^[27]

2014: World rank: 252, Country rank: 11, Regional rank: 194^[28]

2013: World rank: 161, Country rank: 1, Regional rank: 25^[29]

2012: World rank: 226, Country rank: 2, Regional rank: 34^[30]

^[31][32][33]

• 
  Science and Research, Tehran
• 
  Science and Research, Tehran
• 
  Mashhad
• 
  Najafabad
• 
  Lahijan
• 
  Roudehen
• 
  Isfahan
• 
  Dehaqan

• 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

• Media related to Islamic Azad University at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (in Persian)
• Alumni of Islamic Azad University (in Persian)

35°43′58″N 51°23′20″E / 35.7328°N 51.3889°E / 35.7328; 51.3889