Having a historical cultural and civilizational background, the city of Isfahan is an internationally renowned city with many tourist attractions. This city is also known as one of the industrial cities of Iran and houses the largest cement and iron and steel industries of the country. Keeping these characteristics in view, one of the largest universities of Iran has been established in this city. University of Isfahan, which is known as the largest university in the central region of Iran, is a state university the formation of which dates back to the mid-20th century.

History

The very foundation of this university was laid down with the establishment of the “College of Medical Sciences in the year 1946 and its classes were held in the “Sa’di High School” of Isfahan, which was relatively well-equipped in terms of laboratories and educational facilities.

Four years later, the faculty of medicine was established and it was authorized to conduct a six-year course for its students and issue licenses to practice medicine to those graduates who had successfully defended their thesis. With the establishment of Isfahan Medical Faculty, the College of Medical Sciences was closed down and its faculty members (associate professors) were transferred to the faculty.

The establishment of the Faculty of Pharmacy in 1956 and its annexation to the Faculty of Medicine was another turning point in the growth of this center of higher education. Two years later, after receiving the approval to establish a Faculty of Literature, the two courses of Persian Language and Literature and English Language and Literature were introduced, and with the annexation of these two courses to this faculty, the University of Isfahan came into being.

Since the existing faculties did not have a suitable building to hold their classes, a few buildings were rented and preparations were made to increase the number of teaching groups and faculties. French Language and Literature, Armenian Language and Literature, Arabic Language and Literature, Geography and History, and Social Sciences were founded in the years 1958, 1959, 1961, 1965, and 1968 respectively. The gradual expansion of the University of Isfahan continued in the following years. In 1986, the Faculties of Medical Sciences (health, nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry) were transferred to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and were replaced by a number of other faculties such as humanities, engineering, and basic sciences.

University of Isfahan Today

During the years of its activities, more than 100 thousand people have graduated from the University of Isfahan in various fields and at different levels. Today, Isfahan University has about 700 faculty members who are engaged in teaching and training about 18 thousand students. The number of courses in this university is 54 in the undergraduate program, 226 in the post-graduation, and 120 at the doctorate level. Presently, this university has 14 faculties and two campuses, i.e. Khansar Faculty of Mathematics and Computer and Shahreza Center of Higher Education, that support its 55 educational groups in the fields of technical and engineering, humanities, basic sciences, and foreign languages.

The University of Isfahan has 12 dormitory units for male and female students, which can accommodate up to 4500 people. The 53 scientific associations, five student organizations, 40 student journals, and 40 student cultural centers of this university provide the students with the opportunity for extracurricular activities.

The International Research Position of the University of Isfahan

Three journals the titles of which can be found in international citation indexes and 34 scientific research journals in Persian, English, Arabic, and French languages are among the important publications of this university. According to the ISC Ranking in 2021, with a global ranking of 251 to 300 the University of Isfahan is one of the top universities in Iran in the field of Agricultural Sciences. As regards the publication of scientific articles, the University of Isfahan has been recognized as the 10th best university in Iran in 2023.

Similarly, according to the Round University Ranking, the University of Isfahan ranked 591 among the 1100 universities in the world in 2020. This university is one of the top universities in Iran in the fields of economics and business, biological sciences, physics, computer science, and engineering and technology.

At the international level, the University of Isfahan is in close interaction and cooperation with South Korean universities. A working group called “South Korea Cooperation” has been formed at this university, which is in interaction with the centers of higher education and research of South Korean universities.