Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch

The university campuses rest on of various districts of Tehran. It offers approximately 500 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines such as sciences, engineering, art, architecture, humanities and social sciences.

• Name — Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch • Native Name — دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تهران مرکزی • Motto — بدون شعار رسمی شعار غیر رسمی شامل: اطلب العلم من المهد الى اللحد (Arabic) ز گهواره تا گور دانش بجوی آرمان ایرانی برای جهانی شدن یادگیری و زندگی (Persian) • Motto Eng — No official motto Unofficial mottoes include: Seek Knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave Iranian Aspirations for Globalization Learn and Live • Established — August 1, 1982 • Type — Private research university • Rector — Alireza Firoozfar • President — Bijan Ranjbar • Students — ~60,000 (2026) • Undergrad — ~40,000 (2026) • Postgrad — ~16,000 (2026) • Doctoral — ~4,000 (2026) • City — Tehran • Country — Iran • Campus — Urban, (total) (educational) (sport space) (laboratories) (libraries) • Former Names — Islamic Azad University of Tehran • Other Names — Central Tehran University IAUCTB • Academic Affiliations — Islamic Azad University • Website — http: ctb.iau.ir • Faculty — 1,800 {900 (Full-time Faculty Member) and 900 (Visiting and Adjunct) } (2026) • Administrative Staff — ~500 Full-time (2026) • Colors — Dark and light Blue

Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch is the very first branch established under the university system which is known as Islamic Azad University, so the history of this branch can be traced back to the foundation of the university. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani sought to establish a private university to address the challenges posed during the early years of Iranian Revolution -such as Cultural Revolution- and to meet increasing demands of secondary-school graduates for higher education in Iran. On the sidelines of an Islamic Republican Party conference, Rafsanjani mooted the idea with Abdollah Jasbi, who supported and developed the plan to establish Islamic Azad University. Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch is the very first branch established under the university system which is known as Islamic Azad University. In its early days, the university lacked sufficient funds and facilities to operate, sorely relying on donations made by people and government. The initial endowment was about 100,000 Rials. Jasbi rented No. 155 building in Forsat Shirazi St., while Nassir Shekarriz and Mahmoud Latifipour – who were in charge as Chancellor and Vice Chancellor respectively – rented the sixth floor of a building located in Enqelab St., Felestin St. in order to hold an entrance exam in 1982. This university began as the Islamic Azad University of Tehran when it opened its doors to about 200 students, offering six majors in bachelor's degree and two in associate degree. Soon after, the whole building in Enqelab St. was purchased from Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution and became the university's first property. (current Faculty of Arts and Architecture)

The university has 13 Faculties: IAUCTB Faculties • Faculty — Location • Faculty of Foreign Languages — Enghelab Campus • Faculty of Literature and Humanities • Faculty of Sciences — Hashemi Rafsanjani Campus • Faculty of Engineering • Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning • Faculty of Management — Velayat Campus • Faculty of Arts • Faculty of Economics and Accounting • Faculty of Psychology and Education • Faculty of Social Sciences, Communication Sciences and Media Studies • Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences • Faculty of Political Sciences • Faculty of Law The university has three campuses: IAUCTB Campuses • Campus — Location — Schools • Velayat — Sohanak — Arts, Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences • Hashemi Rafsanjani — Punak — Science, Engineering and Architecture • Enghelab — Enghelab St., Pich Shemiran — Foreign Languages, Literature and Humanities

Programs by subject: • Arts & humanities • Clinical, pre-clinical & health (medical sciences) • Life sciences • Social sciences • Engineering & technology • Physical sciences

In academic year of 2025-2026 • Field of Study — Percent • Engineering and technology — | ~28% • Humanities — | ~55% • Art — | ~11% • Science — | ~5% • Agriculture and Veterinary — | ~1% • Medical Sciences — | ~0% • Total — | 100% • Level of study (Degree) — Percent • Associate — | 2.36% • Bachelor's — | 66.20% • Master's — | 26.15% • Ph.D. — | 5.29% • Total — | 100%

In academic year of 2025-2026: • Aerospace engineering (BS, MS) • Biomedical engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Chemical engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Civil engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Computer engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Electrical engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Energy engineering (MS) • Environmental engineering (BS, MS) • Industrial engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Information technology engineering (MS) • Materials engineering (BS, MS) • Mechanical engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Mechatronics engineering (MS) • Mining engineering (BS, MS) • Nuclear engineering (BS, MS, PhD) • Petroleum engineering (BS, MS) • Polymer engineering (BS) • Sports engineering (BS) • Textile engineering (BS)

• Department of Electrical Engineering • B.S. — M.S. — Ph.D. • Communications — Communications (Communication System, Communication Networks, Secure Communication & Cryptography, Optical Communication, Field & Wave Communication) — Communications (Communication System, Field & Wave Communication) • Control — Control — Control • Electronics — Electronics (Micro and Nanoelectronic Devices, Digital Electronic Systems, Electronic Integrated Circuits) — Electronics • Power — Power (Power Systems, Power Electronics and Electrical Machines, Planning and Management of Electrical Energy Systems, Electrical Transportation Systems) — Power • Department of Biomedical Engineering • B.S. — M.S. — Ph.D. • Biomedical Engineering — Bioelectric (joint program EE Dept) — Bioelectric (joint program EE Dept) • Biomechanic — Biomechanic • Biomaterial — Biomaterial • Rehabilitation • Tissue • Department of Computer Engineering • B.S. — M.S. — Ph.D. • Computer Engineering — Computer Systems Architecture — Computer Systems Architecture • Software — Software • Artificial Intelligence & Robotics — Artificial Intelligence & Robotics • Network and Computing • Department of Nuclear Engineering • B.S. — M.S. — Ph.D. • Nuclear Engineering — Medical Radiation Engineering — Medical Radiation Engineering • Reactor Engineering — Nuclear Energy Engineering • Department of Mechanical Engineering • Department of Industrial Engineering • Department of Chemical Engineering

The university received 35,317 applications for the Fall 2011 undergraduate class, making it the university with the most freshmen applicants among all branches of Islamic Azad University. In 2013, a total number of 11,789 and 6,061 applications were received for undergraduate and graduate programs respectively.

• Islamic World Science Citation Database 2011: third among Islamic Azad University campuses • SCImago rankings 2012: International rank: 231, National rank: 1 (Islamic Azad University) 2013: International rank: 87, National rank: 1 (Islamic Azad University) 2025: International rank: 9,456, National rank: 143 (Islamic Azad University)

• Illustration — Zahra Rahnavard, Faculty of Political Sciences • Illustration — Sadegh Zibakalam, Faculty of Political Sciences • Illustration — Abdolhossein Mokhtabad, Faculty of Arts • Illustration — Abbas Araghchi, MS (International Relation) • Illustration — Siamak Ansari, BS (Theater) • Illustration — Ali Daei, MS (Physical Education) • Illustration — Mohammad Abbasi, MS (Management) • Illustration — Marzieh Afkham, MS (Political Sciences) • Illustration — Hamid Sourian, BS (Physical Education) • Illustration — Hanieh Tavassoli, BS (Theater) • Illustration — Masoud Soltanifar, MS (Political Sciences) • Illustration — Faezeh Hashemi, MS (International law) • Illustration — Javad Khiabani, BS (Physical Education) • Illustration — Mohammad Reza Rahimi, MS (Sociology)

Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch alumni As of June 2010, the university has 176,973 alumni which makes it the biggest number among all branches of Islamic Azad University. • Mohammad Abbasi – Iran Minister of Cooperatives (2005–2011) and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (2011–2013) • Faezeh Hashemi – former representative of Iranian parliament and women rights activist • Parvin Ahmadinejad – former member of City Council of Tehran • Mohammad-Ali Pourmokhtar – Representative of Iranian parliament • Mehdi Davatgari – Representative of Iranian parliament • Rajab Rahmani – Representative of Iranian parliament • Rahmatollah Norouzi – Representative of Iranian parliament • Shabnam Gholikhani – Actress and Director • Hanieh Tavassoli – Actress • Shahrokh Razmjou – Archaeologist • Elnaz Shakerdoust – Actress • Kazem Sayahi – Voice actor • Behdad Moghadasi – Guitarist • Akbar Mohammadi Argi – Football coach • Fariba Davoodi Mohajer – Journalist and activist • Abbas Araghchi – Diplomat, Iranian Ambassador to Finland & Japan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs • Ali Shoroughi – Writer and Journalist • Laleh Eskandari – Actress • Bahareh Rahnama – Actress • Azita Afrashi – linguist and Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies fellow • Mojtaba Saminejad – blogger and human rights activist • Kambiz Hosseini – co-presenter of Parazit • Shararh Farnejad – Musician and member of Arian Band • Mehrab Ghasemkhani – Screenwriter • Mahdi Pakdel – Actor • Elnaz Shakerdoust – Actress • Houman Haji-Abdollahi – Voice actor and IRIB Host • Siamak Ansari – Actor • Abolfazl Shahi – Artist • Arash Dadgar – Theater Actor • Hamed Behdad – Actor

Several students have won medals in International competitions while studying at the university. Medalists at 2010 Asian Games • Name — Sport — Medal • Iran Taleb Nematpour — Wrestling • Iran Jasem Vishgahi — Karate • Iran Elaheh Ahmadi — STR3X20 • AR40 team • STR3X20 team • Iran Mir-Saeid Marouf — Volleyball • Iran Farshad Alizadeh — Wrestling • Iran Sara Khoshjamal Fekri — Taekwondo • Iran Saeideh Maghsoudlou — Kabaddi • Iran Fatemeh Momeni • Iran Sajjad Anoushiravani — Weightlifting • Iran Samad Nikkhah Bahrami — Basketball Medalists at 2012 Summer Olympics • Name — Sport — Medal • Iran Hamid Sourian — Wrestling • Iran Sajjad Anoushiravani — Weightlifting Other notable sportspeople at the university include Ali Daei, Karim Ansarifard, Mohammad Mayeli Kohan, Akbar Mohammadi, Mahmoud Miran and Arash Miresmaeili.

• Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics It offers the following programs: • B.S. — M.S. — Ph.D. • Computer Science — Computer Science — Computer Science • Applied Statistics — Applied Statistics — Statistics • Applied Mathematics — Mathematics (Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics) — Mathematics (Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics) • Department of Biology • Department of Chemistry • Department of Physics

Academic staff of the Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch • Zahra Rahnavard – Iranian Reformist Politician • Mohammad-Javad Haghshenas – Iranian Reformist journalist and Political activist • Amir Mohebbian – Iranian Conservative Politician • Mansour Falamaki – Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Famer in architecture • Hassan Riahi – Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Famer in music and composer of National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran • Seyyed Bagher Ayatollahzadeh Shirazi – Architect and Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Famer in Heritage site repairs • Homayoun Riahi Chaleshtari – Chairman of Zamyad Co. (2008–2009) and board member of Iran Khodro and SAIPA • Mostafa Kavakebian, Iranian Reformist Politician and former parliament representative • Hossein Allahkaram, Ansar-e Hezbollah activist • Ali Akbar Saremi – Architect • Karen Khanlari – Representative of Iranian parliament • Karim Zareh – Former representative of Iranian parliament • Hassan Mohadessi – Sociologist • Jahanbakhsh Khanjani – Iranian Reformist Politician • Ali Najafi Tavana – Iran Central Bar Association President • Jalil Maleki – Iran Central Bar Association Board Member • Isa Amini – Iran Central Bar Association Board Member • Elaheh Koulaei – Former representative of Iranian parliament • Ferdos Hajian – Primary school education expert • Mohammad-Reza Rahimi – Vice President of Iran (2009–2013) • Enshallah Rahmati – Journalist and Translator in Philosophy and theosophy • Sadegh Zibakalam – Political analyst • Effat Shariati – Iranian parliament representative • Hamid Sajjadi – United Nations Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport Vice-president • Mohammad-Hossein Farhangi – Iranian parliament representative • Habibollah Sadeghi – Painter • Saeid Kharaghani – Iranian Ministry of Energy Deputy for Research & Human Resources (1998–2005) • Ali Darabi, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Deputy • Shabnam Gholikhani – Actress and Director • Farhad Nazerzadeh Kermani – Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Famer in Arts • Ahmad Bakhshayesh – Representative of Iranian parliament • Hossein Abolhasan Tanhayi – Sociologist • Mostafa Askarian – Pedagogian • Mohammad Reza Sadegh – Senior Advisor to President Hassan Rouhani • Abdollah Ramezanzadeh – Iranian Reformist Politician, governor of the Kurdistan Province under President Mohammad Khatami • Abdolhossein Mokhtabad – Musician, Singer, Member of City Council of Tehran