University of Zanjan

Zanjan is one of the fertile provinces of Iran, where agricultural and animal husbandry activities have always been very prosperous. Perhaps this was the reason that in 1974 the plan for the establishment of a college of agriculture and animal husbandry in this city, which became the cornerstone of the University of Zanjan, was approved.

The History of the University of Zanjan

In the first academic year of the College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, which began in the fall semester of 1975, 72 students were given admission through the nationwide entrance exam of Iranian universities. This college started its activities with two courses “Agricultural Management” and “Livestock Management”.

In the same year, a piece of land with an area of 400 hectares was allocated for the construction of educational spaces of this college. The expansion of the activities of this center of higher education caused its status to be upgraded to that of a faculty in 1977. A few years later, i.e. in 1987 a college of technology was added to this faculty, and it was renamed “Zanjan Complex of Higher Education”. Finally, with the addition of the Faculty of Sciences in 1990 and the Faculty of Literature and Humanities in 1991 the path was paved for the transformation of this complex into the “University of Zanjan”.

Presently, four faculties of agriculture, engineering, sciences, and humanities, along with the Suhrawardi Campus, form the educational pillars of the university. Suhrawardi Campus started working in 2013 with the aim of admitting students to postgraduate studies. The admission of students to this campus started in the fields of electrical and civil engineering, and later other fields such as animal science and nutrition were added to it. The 400 faculty members of this university conduct 58 undergraduate courses, 100 postgraduate courses, and 54 Ph.D. courses.

Research Activities of the University of Zanjan

The Institute of Modern Biological Techniques is the most important research unit of the University of Zanjan. Presently, three research groups “Livestock”, “Agriculture” and “Biotechnology” are functioning in this research institute. The four research working groups of this institute include:

• Phytochemistry of medicinal plants

• Chemistry and biotechnology of food, pharmaceutical, and industrial raw materials

• Chemistry and environmental biotechnology

• Group of convergent sciences and technologies

9 laboratories and laboratory workshops have been established in this research institute with the aim of encouraging research projects and providing services to researchers. The Tarom Educational and Research Center with an area of 11 hectares supports the applied research projects in the field of subtropical plants.

This university also has a center called “Growth and Innovation”, which provides the necessary place and support to technological units. Using the services of this center, researchers and graduates of the University of Zanjan can actualize their ideas in various fields.

International activities of the University of Zanjan

The University of Zanjan has established an office called “International Scientific Cooperation” with the aim of fostering educational and research cooperation with universities and scientific institutions of other countries and exchanging scientific findings. In the years of its activities, this office has helped the university to improve its scientific level by holding meetings and conferences and inviting foreign researchers.

This center also facilitates the acquisition of sabbaticals with the aim of supporting university researchers and providing them with the opportunity to conduct research in foreign universities and institutions. The University of Zanjan publishes a call for admission for foreign students and admits those applicants whose educational records meet the minimum requirements announced. From among the students admitted, the most qualified ones are entitled to receive scholarships.