University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

Ardabil is one of the border provinces of Iran located in northwest of the country. This province is famous for having natural tourism attractions and large agricultural industries. The largest center of higher education of this province is “University of Mahaghegh Ardabili”, whose main campus is located in Ardabil city.

Who was Mahaghegh Ardabili?

Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ardabili was one of the leading scholars of Islamic sciences in the 16th century CE. He was born in Ardabil and studied and taught in such cities as Shiraz and Najaf. He was nicknamed “Maghaddas Ardabili” because of living a purely religious asceticism, and was known as “Mahaghegh Ardabili” because of his insight and expertise in various sciences. Mahaghegh Ardabili Passed away in 1585 CE.

History of the University of Mahaghegh Ardabili

The history of the establishment of this university dates back to 1978 when it was started as a college of agriculture affiliated with the University of Tabriz by admitting 30 students in the field of agriculture. In 1991 this college was detached from the University of Tabriz and continued its activities as an independent “Institute of Higher Education”. During a commemoration congress in honor of Mahaghegh Ardabili in his birthplace in 1996 the status of the said institute was elevated to that of a university and named after this great Iranian scholar.

Educational and Research Activites of University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

This university is considered as the only comprehensive university in Ardabil province (in the northwest of Iran). The main campus of the university is located in Ardabil city and its three affiliated campuses are located in the cities of Namin, Moghan, and Meshkinshahr. Presently, the number of students and faculty members of this university stands at than 13 thousand and nearly 400 respectively. University of Mohaghegh Ardabili has 9 faculties, six of which are located in its main campus:

1- Faculty of Engineering

2. Faculty of Science

3. Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology

4. Faculty of Literature and Humanities

5. Faculty of Social Sciences

6. Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources

The three affiliated campuses of this university include the Faculty of Agriculture in Meshkinshahr, the Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Natural Resources in Moghan, and the Faculty of New Technologies in Namin.

Three research institutes of “Water and Mineral Water Engineering”, “Water Management”, and “Health and Safety of Agricultural Products” have been established with the aim of strengthening the university’s research activities. The other research centers of the university include “Medicinal Plant Biotechnology Research Center”, “Salamat Gostar Research Center”, and “Energy Management Research Center”. In all 19 research groups conduct research in the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili especially in such fields as food and agriculture industries.

International Status and Activities of University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

Despite the fact that University of Mohaghegh Ardabili has started admitting foreign students since 2020, in 2023 more than 100 students from different countries had enrolled in it. According to the officials of this university, with the increase in the capacity and facilities in this university, the possibility of attracting more foreign students will increase in the years to come.

The “Directorate of Scientific and International Affairs” of the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili is in charge of concluding memorandums of understanding with universities and scientific centers of different countries, sending students to international scientific and sports competitions, providing consular services to foreign students, and inviting professors and researchers from different countries to attend and teach at the university.

According to the Shanghai ranking published in 2023, this university is the best university in Iran in the field of materials engineering, with a rank of 301 to 400. In the Times ranking, University of Mohagheg Ardabili is ranked 9th among Iran’s top universities. Also, in the ISC ranking report published in 2021, this university was one of the top universities in Iran in the field of agricultural sciences with a rank of 601 to 700.