| Islamic Azad University | |
|---|---|
| دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi |
|
Seal of Islamic Azad University |
|
| Motto in English | Iranian trust, Global credit |
| Established | 1982 |
| Type | Private |
| President | Abdollah Jassbi |
| Academic staff | 34,000 |
| Students | 1,400,000 |
| Campus | Iran United Kingdom United Arab Emirates Lebanon Tanzania Armenia |
| Colours | Turquoise and White |
| Website | www.iau.ac.ir |
Islamic Azad University (Persian: دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی , Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi) is a private chain of universities in Iran.
Headquartered in Tehran, Iran, the Islamic Azad University was founded in 1982 and currently has an enrollment of 1.5 million students,[1] making it the world's third largest.[2] Azad University has over 400 branches across the country and also in other countries. It has branches and universities in U.A.E, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Lebanon and Armenia. Islamic Azad University have started to launching universities and branches in Malaysia, Canada, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. These will open in a near future. Over the years, the university has accumulated assets estimated to be worth between $20 and $25 billion.[2]
The university system also operates a news agency similar to ANA, named "Azad News Agency".
Islamic Azad University's activities quickly expanded throughout the country, so that today thousands of students are enrolling every year. Not relying on government funding, it receives charitable donations and charges tuition fees.[2]
The certificates issued by this university are recognized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Masters and doctorate programs have been offered in many different branches of Islamic Azad University.
Contents |
Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch is the first and the largest branch of Islamic Azad University among domestic and foreign branchs which was established in Tehran in May 1982. It started its activities with 6 courses in Bachelor's degree, one course in Associates degree with acceptance 200 students. The longest reigning leader of the Tehran branch was Nasir Shekarriz who was in charge of this branch for nearly 20 years.
Iran's Supreme Leader has declared the financial endowment of Azad University to be "religiously illegitimate and unlawful", prompting a change within the administration of the institution. =