Type Public Academic staff 35 Postgraduates 555 Founder Yousef Sobouti Number of students 700 | Established 1991 Undergraduates 145 Phone +98 2433151 Founded 1991 | |
 | ||
Rector Babak Karimi (2016-present)
HamidReza Khalesifard (2014-2016)
Rasoul Khodabakhsh (2010-2014)
Yousef Sobouti (1991-2010) Address Zanjan Province, Zanjan, پلاک، دانشگاه تحصيلات تكميلي علوم پايه زنجان، 45195-1159, Gavazang Rd, Iran Similar University of Zanjan, Institute for Research in Funda, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan University of Techno, University of Tabriz | ||
The Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) (Persian: دانشگاه تحصیلات تکمیلی علوم پایه زنجان) is an advanced research center and graduate-level degree-granting institution in Zanjan, Iran. It was founded in 1991 by Prof. Yousef Sobouti, who was the director of the institute until 2010. After that Dr.Rasoul Khodabakhsh was the director till February 2014, and Dr. HamidReza Mohammadi Khalesifard has filled the position since then. The Institute awarded as one of the top advanced research centers in Iran. IASBS was also ranked the IRAN’s top university in 3 of 36 disciplines ranked by QS, including physics, chemistry, and mathematics.
Contents
IASBS offers advanced degrees (Masters and above) in Mathematics, Physics, Geophysics, Biophysics and Chemistry. As of 2008, the mathematics department offers Master of Science degrees in Computer Science with concentration on Artificial Intelligence(esp. Multi Agent Systems and Computational Geometry) and Graph & Algorithms.
The university runs two undergraduate programs in Information Technology, one of which is a joint program with Heriot-Watt University of the United Kingdom. The latter, lectured and examined in English language, involves passing modules in both universities at the same time and each student is registered both at IASBS and Heriot-Watt University (i.e. successful students receive a degree from each university).
The library of the university began in 1993 as a small part of the physics department. It moved to a new building about 16 years later. The new library was opened in 2007 and named Torkaman Library after its donor. The library keeps over 20,000 books, 6,500 of which are in Persian, and the other 13,500 are in English and other languages.
In May 2002, Zanjan ICT incubator established by Dr. Jalil Khavandkar in the IASBS for development of technology and business. He followed this by establishing Zanjan Science and Technology Park in June 2009. These two foundations are of the most successful techno-centers in Iran.
Commentary
Zanjan, a city with a population of 300,000, 350 km to the north-west of Tehran, was chosen for the Institute for Advances Studies in Basic Sciences, (IASBS). The location was far enough from Tehran to not be affected by the distractions of the city but close enough to pursue the many ensuing official and budgetary problems in Tehran.
Now, after ten years, IASBS has physics education at M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels, and mathematics and chemistry at M.Sc. level. There will soon be education at Ph.D. level in the latter two departments. IASBS has 33 full-time faculty and some part-time members. Ten years after its creation, its 33 faculty members and 22 Ph.D. students are able to produce one paper every 3–4 days in international journals and has been announced as a center of excellence in physics by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.
The IASBS is a degree-granting institution with Master's and Doctoral programs only. Since September 2000, however, it has started a new program in physics for a group of distinguished high school graduates. The program, a first attempt at the national level, will train these select group of students over a period of seven years, granting them a Ph.D. degree in physics.
According to its articles of association, the Board of Trustees of the Institute consists of the Minister of Science, Research and Technology, the Head of the Planning and Budget Organization, the Director of the Institute, and four eminent scientific and cultural personalities of the country.
The director of the Institute, selected out of outstanding scientific figures in the country, in cooperation with the Scientific Council of the Institute, directs the Institute towards its goals.
The International Advisory Council of the Institute is composed of a host of scholars and scientists. The late Professor Abdus Salam was a member of this council. Members of the Council assist the Institute in delineating its general themes of research, establishing new disciplines, attracting prominent researchers and evaluating its scientific achievements.