Introduction
Islamic Azad University-IAU
The early years following the victory of the Islamic Republic of Iran's revolution, in early 80s, the country was experiencing a big challenge, which needed to be changed into an opportunity for the development of the newly established government.
The world was to experience a rapid pace of knowledge generation, for the promotion of which the government had developed the required plans. The early 80s was concurrent with the dominance of computer over the world as well as the ever-increasing radical changes in human life because of new technologies. Meanwhile, the facilities and capacities of universities in Iran, to meet the great demand of the Iranian youth for higher education, were so limited that high school graduates had to enter a very tense academic competition, only the winners of which could enjoy the privilege of studying at higher education. At this point of time, there were no more than 160000 university students in the country.
Accordingly, the idea for setting up a non-state university was brought into the limelight. Relying on non-state sector and complying with Islamic rules, the university was founded in 1982 by the patronage of the late Imam Khomeini, namely "Islamic Azad University (IAU)". Aiming to train a post-revolutionary generation of specialized and well-trained human resources and experts, the university tried to make a great stride in the country's development.
The IAU is currently one of the largest attending universities in the world. The university is a non-state and non-profit higher education institution offering so many fields of study in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Architecture, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Humanities, Medical Sciences and Veterinary at Associate, Bachelor, Master, Ph.D. and Professional Doctorate levels.
There are, currently, 1326989 students studying at 369 branches, 688 SAMA Schools and 120 vocational collegesof the Islamic Azad University.The university has played a pivotal role in educating the human resources in post-revolution era through a network of its branches across the country, within an area of 10620000 sqm including university campuses, buildings, laboratories, workshops and research centers, dormitories, mosques, and restaurants. In this respect, more than 5640000 students have been graduated from IAU in various levels and majors of study, so far. The graduates of the university are now undertaking research projects and teaching positions at the universities all over the world.
The university, at present, offers more than 1300 programs of study, from associate to doctorate levels both in medical and non-medical majors of study, via its so many branches in the Iranian cities.
Internationally speaking, the Islamic Azad University has surpassed the national boundaries through more than 10000 international students studying at inner branches and overseas branches in Afghanistan, Lebanon, the UK and the UAE. The IAU also has planned to set up some other overseas branches in other countries in the near future. In this regard, 252 memorandums of understanding (MoU) have been inked with worldwide universities, so far. Islamic Azad University is also a member at 5 international associations including AUAP, ASAIHL, FUIW, IAUP, and IAU.
The IAU has about 46000 teaching staff including full-time, part-time faculty members as well as visiting and adjunct lecturers. Besides, the IAU has about 35000 administrative staff, 137 research centers, 6769 laboratories and 3420 workshops, through which 38803 research projects are running in the fields of Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Mechatronics, Plasma Physics, Interdisciplinary Sciences, and Advanced Sciences and Technology.
The Islamic Azad University has opened new chapters in science generation and circulation at home by obtaining remarkable achievements in the scope of modern technologies. Producing hybrid and electrical cars as well as gaining the top ranks in the world’s robotics competitions, more brighten the way we are stepping in. These remarkable achievements have brought the Iranian universities and science centers’ hidden potentials to the limelight to enforce their self-sufficiency and to reach the new technologies.
Besides, the Islamic Azad University has always been active in cultural and social domains. To this end, the university has been successful in reaching many accomplishments via conducting researchstudies on cultural, social and religious activities, establishing cultural and social centers, supporting student publications, holding cultural and artistic festivals on students' cultural identity as well as introducing the cultural elites.
Following the continuing success of IAU’s scientific and academic teams in international events, the university’s sport teams have won many medals in athletic competitions, nationally and internationally, in different sport tournaments in various fields such as Karate, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Volleyball, Cycling, Basketball, etc.
In the area of medical sciences, the IAU has 104 medical branches, 1649 faculty members and 54203 students, majoring in 67 fields of study such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Family and Public Health, Nursing, Midwifery, Laboratory Sciences, Nutrition, at various levels of study. The university also enjoys 10 operational hospitals, with 725 active beds offering medical services to the public, and there are more other hospitals under construction.
"The experience gives birth to wisdom." The IAU, today with a 38-year existence history, reveals that the ups and downs experienced by the university is in the same line with the inevitable globalization trend, which is the IAU's objective in the years to come.
Some current statistics of the IAU are represented in the following tables:
Table 1. Distribution of Students at IAU in Different Levels of Study
|
Level of Study
|
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
|
Associate
|
160179
|
69782
|
229961
|
|
Bachelor
|
387799
|
323947
|
711746
|
|
Master
|
179159
|
137149
|
316308
|
|
Professional Doctorate
|
7205
|
9135
|
16340
|
|
Ph.D.
|
31376
|
21258
|
52634
|
|
Total of Number of Students
|
765718
|
561271
|
1326989
|
Obviously, via such a big population of students, the IAU could be considered as the most influential higher education institution for training the required human resources in Iran.
The university is also the pioneer in the development of research and technology as the first private university that sets up Incubator Centers, Tech-Trade Systems, Technology Parks, Laboratories and Workshops.
Table 2. IAU Statistics in Research and Technology Development
|
Development Area
|
Number
|
|
Labs
|
6769
|
|
Workshops
|
3420
|
|
Labs & Workshops Experts
|
2884
|
|
General Research Facilities
|
136834
|
|
Professional Research Facilities
|
3010
|
|
Active Research Centers
|
137
|
Table 3. Research Projects at IAU
|
Types of Projects
|
Number
|
|
Projects at IAU
|
35000
|
|
Projects with the Collaboration of IAU and Other Organizations
|
3803
|
|
Total Number of Projects
|
38803
|
Table 4. IAU Non-Medical Programs of Study
|
Topic
|
Number/Percent
|
|
Number of Current Programs of Study
|
1251
|
|
Number of Programs in Various Branches
|
23943
|
|
Major Programs of Study
|
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Architecture, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Humanities, and Veterinary
|
|
The Contribution of Islamic Azad University to Higher Education in Iran
|
40%: Retrieved from the Institute of Research & Planning in Higher Education of MSRT in 2017-18
|
MSRT: Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology of I.R. Iran
Table 5. Number of Non-Medical Fields of Study in Major Programs
|
Major
|
Number
|
|
Agriculture and Natural Resources
|
184
|
|
Arts and Architecture
|
93
|
|
Basic Sciences
|
145
|
|
Engineering
|
333
|
|
Humanities
|
458
|
|
Veterinary
|
38
|
|
Total
|
1251
|
Table 6. Distribution of Non-Medical Majors at Different Levels of Study
|
Major
|
Levels of Study
|
||||
|
Associate
|
Bachelor
|
Master
|
Professional Doctorate
|
Ph.D.
|
|
|
Agriculture and Natural Resources
|
506
|
732
|
649
|
0
|
270
|
|
Arts and Architecture
|
807
|
678
|
321
|
0
|
63
|
|
Basic Sciences
|
190
|
720
|
1047
|
0
|
335
|
|
Engineering
|
3605
|
2817
|
1737
|
0
|
435
|
|
Humanities
|
1961
|
2711
|
3081
|
0
|
1133
|
|
Veterinary
|
40
|
41
|
13
|
12
|
39
|
|
Total in the Majors
|
7109
|
7699
|
6848
|
12
|
2275
|
|
Total
|
23943
|
||||
Table 7. IAU Human Resources (Faculty Members, Teaching Staff, and Administrative Staff)
|
Cooperation Type
|
Number
|
|
|
Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty Members
|
26398
|
Men: 18560
|
|
Women: 7838
|
||
|
Visiting and Adjunct Lecturers
|
19522
|
|
|
Administrative Staff
|
34794
|
Men: 24019
|
|
Women: 10775
|
Table 8. Distribution of IAU Graduates in Various Majors of Study
|
Major
|
Number
|
|
|
Agriculture and Natural Resources
|
32100
|
|
|
Arts and Architecture
|
21927
|
|
|
Applied Sciences
|
267634
|
|
|
Basic Sciences
|
154608
|
|
|
Engineering
|
1578524
|
|
|
General Majors
|
1988170
|
|
|
Humanities
|
1320356
|
|
|
Medical Sciences
|
119920
|
|
|
Teacher Training
|
133295
|
|
|
Veterinary
|
30117
|
|
|
Total
|
5646651
|
Men: 3232382
|
|
Women: 2414269
|
Table 9. Distribution of IAU Graduates at Various Levels of Study
|
Level
|
Number
|
|
Associate
|
1651599
|
|
Bachelor
|
3266286
|
|
Master
|
692369
|
|
Professional Doctorate
|
23305
|
|
Ph.D.
|
13092
|
|
Total
|
5646651
|
Table 10. IAU Civil Spaces and Buildings
|
Type of Buildings
|
Space (sqm)
|
|
Educational Buildings
|
3148870
|
|
Administrative Buildings
|
1344546
|
|
Research Space (Labs, Workshops, Research Centers, Libraries, etc.)
|
1600000
|
|
Dormitories
|
1290000
|
|
Student Facilities
|
1768939
|
|
Cultural Spaces (Mosques, and etc.)
|
520000
|
|
Sport Space
|
630000
|
|
SAMA Schools
|
317645
|
|
Total Buildings Space
|
10620000
|
|
Total Outdoor Space (Green Areas, etc.)
|
38000000
|
Table 11. IAU Medical Sciences Statistics
|
Topic
|
Number
|
|
|
Number of Medical Branches
|
104
|
|
|
Number of Medical Faculty Members
|
1649
|
|
|
Number of Medical Students
|
54203
|
Men: 14063
|
|
Women:40140
|
||
|
Number of Medical Fields of Study
|
67
|
|
|
Hospitals
|
10
|
|
|
Active Beds in the Hospitals
|
725
|
|
Table 12. IAU International Statistics
|
Scope
|
Numbers
|
|
Number of IAU International Students
|
More than 10000
|
|
Number of International Students Studying at IAU Inner Branches
|
7623
|
|
Number of International Students Studying at IAU Overseas Branches
|
1825
|
|
Number of Signed MoUs
|
252
|
|
Number of International Associations in which IAU is a Member
|
5 including (AUAP, ASAIHL, FUIW, IAUP, and IAU)
AUAP: Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific
ASAIHL: The Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning
FUIW: Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World
IAUP: International Association of University Presidents
IAU: International Association of Universities
|
|
Number of Overseas Branches
|
4
|
Islamic Azad University was the host for the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning-ASAIHL Conference 2018 on the “Role of Private Universities on the Development of Higher Education” during 10-13 December 2018 at IAU-Qazvin branch. The conference was held with the presence of the Association’s Secretary General, Vice-Presidents, Board Members, representatives of the university members, embassies’ delegates as well as the Iranian and international scholars and dignitaries.
In this conference, 35 papers and 2 country reports were presented. In addition, 6 speeches were also delivered on the “Conditions of Higher Education in the Current World.” During the event, the scientists and researchers delivered their articles on “Teaching Methods and their Feedbacks in Higher Education; Curriculum Development based on Innovative Perspectives in Higher Education; and Investigating Higher Education Teaching Methodologies in Specific Fields of Study.”
Regarding the mentioned statistics for the IAU facilities and resources, the university has faced a fundamental growth in research perspectives. The obvious examples of such a growth are the achievements of IAU within innovative research projects that resulted in gaining the top ranks at the World Robotic Championships during 2013-2018. In this respect, the IAU was the host for the 14th RoboCup IranOpen and 2nd Robocop Asia Pacific international competitions in Kish Island. Further to this as result of focusing on research activities, the IAU has become internationally known via the research statistics shown in the following Table.
Table 13. IAU Research Events and Publications Statistics
|
Title
|
Total Numbers
|
|
|
Published Articles
|
251925
|
|
|
ISI Articles
|
70810
|
|
|
Scopus Articles
|
90220
|
|
|
ISC Articles
|
68895
|
|
|
Articles in Iran
|
22000
|
|
|
Books
|
5250
|
|
|
Translations
|
1084
|
|
|
Registered Patents
|
1951
|
|
|
Scientific and Research Journals
|
387
|
|
|
Scientific and Research Journals with International Citation Indexes
|
22
|
|
|
Scientific and Research Journals Verified by the Ministries of Science, Research and Technology & Health and Medical Education
|
112
|
|
|
Scientific and Research Journals with Rankings at IAU
|
123
|
|
|
Scientific Conferences
|
International Conferences
|
190
|
|
National Conferences
|
1989
|
|
|
Provincial Meetings
|
2145
|
|
|
National Summits
|
2644
|
|
