| Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch | |
| Native Name: | Persian: دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تهران مرکزی |
| Caption: | Seal of IAU Central Tehran Branch |
| Motto: | بدون شعار رسمیشعار غیر رسمی شامل:اطلب العلم من المهد الى اللحد(Arabic) ز گهواره تا گور دانش بجوی آرمان ایرانی برای جهانی شدن یادگیری و زندگی(Persian) |
| Mottoeng: | No official mottoUnofficial mottoes include:Seek Knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave Iranian Aspirations for Globalization Learn and Live |
| Established: | [1] [2] |
| Type: | Private research university |
| Rector: | Towhid Pourrostam |
| President: | Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi |
| Students: | ~50,000 (2022) |
| Undergrad: | ~30,000 (2022) |
| Postgrad: | ~16,000 (2022) |
| Doctoral: | ~4,000 (2022) |
| City: | Tehran |
| Country: | Iran |
| Campus: | Urban, (total) (educational) (sport space) (laboratories) (libraries) |
| Former Names: | Islamic Azad University of Tehran[3] |
| Other Name: | Central Tehran University IAUCTB |
| Academic Affiliations: | Islamic Azad University |
| Faculty: | 2,000 (2023) |
| Administrative Staff: | 800 (2023) |
| Colors: | Dark and light Blue |
Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch (Persian: دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تهران مرکزی, Daneshgah-e Âzad-e Eslâmi-ye Vahed-e Tehran Mirkâzi) is a private research university located in Tehran, Iran. Founded in 1982, Central Tehran is the flagship institution of the universities affiliated with Islamic Azad University system. The university is the oldest,[4] [5] the largest and the top university among all branches of Islamic Azad University academic organization, established in 1982, originally as the Islamic Azad University of Tehran.[3] The university campuses rest on of various districts of Tehran.It offers approximately 488 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines such as sciences, engineering, art, architecture, humanities and social sciences.
Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch is the very first branch established under the university system which is known as Islamic Azad University, so the history of this branch can be traced back to the foundation of the university.[6]
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani sought to establish a private university to address the challenges posed during the early years of Iranian Revolution -such as Cultural Revolution- and to meet increasing demands of secondary-school graduates for higher education in Iran.[7] On the sidelines of an Islamic Republican Party conference, Rafsanjani mooted the idea with Abdollah Jasbi, who supported and developed the plan to establish Islamic Azad University.[6] Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch is the very first branch established under the university system which is known as Islamic Azad University. In its early days, the university lacked sufficient funds and facilities to operate, sorely relying on donations made by people and government. The initial endowment was about 100,000 Rials.[8]
Jasbi rented No. 155 building in Forsat Shirazi St., while Nassir Shekarriz and Mahmoud Latifipour – who were in charge as Chancellor and Vice Chancellor respectively – rented the sixth floor of a building located in Enqelab St., Felestin St. in order to hold an entrance exam in 1982.[6] This university began as the Islamic Azad University of Tehran when it opened its doors to about 200 students, offering six majors in bachelor's degree and two in associate degree.[9] Soon after, the whole building in Enqelab St. was purchased from Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution and became the university's first property. (Current Faculty of Arts and Architecture)[6]
| Chancellor | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Nasir Shekarriz | 1982–1998 |
| Majid Monajjemi | 1998 (interim) |
| Karim Zare | 1998–2003 |
| Hossein Aghaei | 2003 (interim) |
| Hossein Mojtabazadeh | 2003–2005 |
| Ahmad Moradi | 2005–2006 |
| Mohammad-Ali Gozashti | 2006–2012 |
| Ferdos Hajian | 2012–2013 |
| Farhad Hosseinzadeh Lotfi | 2013–2015 |
| Mehrdad Navabakhsh | 2015–2016 |
| Ahmad Shams | 2016–2017 |
| Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi | 2017–2018 |
| Seyed Mahmoud Reza Aghamiri | 2018–2022 |
| Towhid Pourrostam | 2022–present |
The university has 13 Faculties:[10]
| Faculty of Foreign Languages | Enghelab Campus |
| Faculty of Literature and Humanities | |
| Faculty of Sciences | Hashemi Rafsanjani Campus |
| Faculty of Engineering | |
| Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning | |
| Faculty of Management | Velayat Campus |
| Faculty of Arts | |
| Faculty of Economics and Accounting | |
| Faculty of Psychology and Education | |
| Faculty of Social Sciences, Communication Sciences and Media Studies | |
| Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences | |
| Faculty of Political Sciences | |
| Faculty of Law |
The university has three campuses:
| Velayat | Sohanak | Arts, Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences | |
| Hashemi Rafsanjani | Punak | Science, Engineering and Architecture | |
| Enghelab | Enghelab St., Pich Shemiran | Foreign Languages, Literature and Humanities |
Programs by subject:
In academic year of 2023-2024
| Field of Study | Percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering and technology | ~30% | ||
| Humanities | ~51% | ||
| Art | ~13% | ||
| Science | ~5% | ||
| Agriculture and Veterinary | ~1% | ||
| Medical Sciences | ~0% | ||
| Total[11] | 100% |
| Level of study (Degree) | Percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate | 2.36% | ||
| Bachelor's | 62.20% | ||
| Master's | 30.15% | ||
| Ph.D. | 5.29% | ||
| Total | 100% |
In academic year of 2023-2024:
| B.S. | M.S. | Ph.D. |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | Communications (Communication System, Communication Networks, Secure Communication & Cryptography, Optical Communication, Field & Wave Communication) | Communications |
| Control | Control | Control |
| Electronics | Electronics (Micro and Nanoelectronic Devices, Digital Electronic Systems, Electronic Integrated Circuits) | Electronics |
| Power | Power (Power Systems, Power Electronics and Electrical Machines, Planning and Management of Electrical Energy Systems, Electrical Transportation Systems) | Power |
| B.S. | M.S. | Ph.D. |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | Bioelectric (joint program EE Dept) | Bioelectric (joint program EE Dept) |
| Biomechanic | Biomechanic | |
| Biomaterial | Biomaterial | |
| Rehabilitation | ||
| Tissue | ||
| B.S. | M.S. | Ph.D. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | Computer Systems Architecture | Computer Systems Architecture | |
| Software | Software | ||
| Artificial Intelligence & Robotics | Artificial Intelligence & Robotics | ||
| Network and Computing |
| B.S. | M.S. | Ph.D. |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineering | Medical Radiation Engineering | Medical Radiation Engineering |
| Reactor Engineering | Nuclear Energy Engineering | |
It offers the following programs:
| B.S. | M.S. | Ph.D. |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Applied Statistics | Applied Statistics | Statistics |
| Applied Mathematics | Mathematics (Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics) | Mathematics (Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics) |
The university received 35,317 applications for the Fall 2011 undergraduate class, making it the university with the most freshmen applicants among all branches of Islamic Azad University.[12] In 2013, a total number of 11,789 and 6,061 applications were received for undergraduate and graduate programs respectively.[8]
2011: third among Islamic Azad University campuses[13]
2012: International rank : 231, National rank : 1[14]
2013: International rank : 87, National rank : 1[15]
As of June 2010, the university has 176,973 alumni[26] which makes it the biggest number among all branches of Islamic Azad University.[27]
Several students have won medals in International competitions while studying at the university.[32]
| Taleb Nematpour | Wrestling | ||
| Jasem Vishgahi | Karate | ||
| Elaheh Ahmadi | STR3X20 | ||
| AR40 team | |||
| STR3X20 team | |||
| Mir-Saeid Marouf | Volleyball | ||
| Farshad Alizadeh | Wrestling | ||
| Sara Khoshjamal Fekri | Taekwondo | ||
| Saeideh Maghsoudlou | Kabaddi | ||
| Fatemeh Momeni | |||
| Sajjad Anoushiravani | Weightlifting | ||
| Samad Nikkhah Bahrami | Basketball |
| Hamid Sourian | Wrestling | ||
| Sajjad Anoushiravani | Weightlifting |
Other notable sportspeople at the university include Ali Daei, Karim Ansarifard, Mohammad Mayeli Kohan, Akbar Mohammadi, Mahmoud Miran and Arash Miresmaeili.[33]