University of Tehran Overview/Historical Events

	>>
	>>
	>>
	>>

Historical Events

The great and magnificent glories of the Iranian history of civilization and culture indicate the existence of the centers of knowledge, science and research in all kinds of sciences. Centers such as ( Vansibin School) and (Jondi Shapour School) in Khoozestan province which was founded in 530 in the order of Khosrow Anoshiravan and lasted up to Abbasi period confirms this claim.

Also the scholars of the Islamic period such as Avicenna, Razi, Biruni, etc in enhancing the thought and elevation of the position of human society’s characters are known at global level.

From Safavid period, the transfer of the principles of new sciences from Europe into Iran began. Then the first new school began its activity in 1833 in Urumiyeh. Also in the year 1851, the first governmental school by the name of Darolfonoon was established offering the following fields of study: Engineering, pharmacology, medicine and surgery, artillery, infantry, cavalry and mining.

With some changes, Darolfonoon was renamed as Central Teacher Training House in 1917 with two levels of elementary and advanced. The elementary level was planned to train teachers for the elementary schools and the advanced level was to train instructors of high schools. Later on, these two formed the Elementary Teacher’s College and Higher Teacher’s College. ( 1933). It is worth mentioning that there were some other schools in line with these schools such as Political School, Medicine School, Agriculture School,….

In 1933, the idea of establishing a comprehensive center or a center which could cover basic higher schools was realized and the law of establishment of the University was approved by the National Consultative Parliament in May 29, 1934.

It is worth remarking that concurrent with the beginning of the constructional operations and the creation of the physical space of the university, efforts were made to develop its regular organization, which was possible only within the framework of a legal act. So, a commission consisting of the known and eminent dignitaries of that age was formed to deal with this important issue. The members of the mentioned commission were the essence and products of different intellectual and cultural schools including the representatives of traditional and modern schools. What they presented as the draft of the bill was indeed the result of the Iranian old scientific and educational traditions ranging from Jondishapour to Darlolfonoon to the new and modern European schools. A glance at the list of the members of the commission in the following lines proves this claim:

1. Haj Seyed Nasrollah Taghavi, Professor at Sepahsalar School

2. Badiolzaman Foroozanfar, A graduate of Khorasan seminaries

3. Gholamhossein Rahnama, Professor of mathematics at Darolfonnon

4. Mirza Ali Akbar Dehkhoda, Dean of the School of Laws

5. Dr. Isa Sedigh, A graduate of European and American universities

6. Dr. Reza Zadeh Shafagh, A graduate of the University of Berlin

7. Dr. Amir Aalam, A graduate of medicine from the University of Lyon, France

8. Dr. Loghman ol dolleh Adham, Dean of the School of Medicine and graduate of universite Paris

9. Dr. Ali Akbar Siyasi, A graduate of the University of Paris and head of higher education

10. Mirza Mohammad Ali Khan Gorgani, The then Head of Retirement Office, one of the skillful and famous managers in administrative and organizational issues

11. Ali Asghar Hekmat, Acting minister of the Ministry of Education

After some month’s studies, exchanging of ideas and reviewing, these scientific and administrative columns proposed the legal bill of the establishment of the University to the National Consultative Parliament. Following two months of review and studies in the Commission of Education at the parliament, finally the National Consultative Parliament approved the bill of the establishment of the University of Tehran on May 28, 1934. Indeed, a golden page was turned in the history of the establishment of Iranian educational institutions. This time, the mentioned law became the beginning of the establishment of new educational institutions in the history of this land.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the articles of this (law) act:

Act of the establishment of the University of Tehran including 21 articles which encompasses the organization of the university, faculties, administrative organization, management and higher councils and method of recruitment of academic and administrative staff.

The first article of this act reads, “ The National Consultative Parliament gives authorization to the Ministry of Education to establish an institution by the name of “ university” for the purpose of teaching science, techniques, literature and philosophy in Tehran”.

The second article of the mentioned act deals with the branches and local organization of the university. According to this article: The university has the following branches, each of which is known as “ faculty”.

1. Faculty of Theology

2. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

3. Faculty of Literature, Philosophy and Educational Sciences

4. Faculty of Medicine, and its branches

5. Faculty of Laws and Political Sciences

6. Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Sciences

With regard to the act of May 28, 1934 concerning the development of the university in new fields of study, and at the time when the ministry of Agriculture was under the jurisdiction of Shamsoldin Amir Alayee, the Higher School of Agriculture (dating back to the age of Mozafaroldin Shah Qajar) was affiliated to the University of Tehran. This school, which was in the form of a large garden in Karaj along with laboratory, library and printing set, were joined to the University of Tehran. Despite the fact that after 70 years, the disciplines affiliated to the medical sciences have been detached from the University of Tehran to work under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, but encompassing 17 faculties, 2 higher education complexes, 4 educational –research centers or institutes, 14 research institutes and 3 information service institutes, the University of Tehran is still the largest and greatest university in Iran. Furthermore, it is also known as the mother of universities and the symbol of higher education of Iran.

Please Send Your Suggestion to wwwadm@ut.ac.ir