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HISTORY The history of the establishment of ''western style'' academic universities in Iran (Persia) dates back to 1851 with the establishment of Darolfonoon – which was founded as a result of the efforts of the royal vizier '' Mirza Taghi Khan Amir Kabir '', aimed at training and teaching Iranian experts in many fields of science and technology. However the existence of schools such as the Nizamiyyah and The Academy Of Gundishapur provide examples of academic institutions of science that date back to ancient times. It was in 1928 that Iran's first university, as we know it today, was proposed by an Iranian physicist, Mahmoud Hessaby . The University of Tehran (or Tehran University) was designed by French architect Andre Godard , and built in 1934 . Today, Tehran University is Iran's largest university with over 32,000 students. In the medical field, it was . The medical faculty Cochran established at Urmia University was joined by several other Americans, namely Drs. Wright, Homlz, van Nourdon, and Miller. They were all buried in Urmia . After Tehran University, the establishment of other universities in Iran soon followed, and The Shah initiated projects to build Iranian universities modeled after American schools. Thus Pahlavi University (''Shiraz University'' today) was modeled after The University Of Pennsylvania , while Sharif University was copied after MIT . Some universities such as Urmia University were even directly founded by Americans. The 1979 Revolution put an end to the massive US-Iran academic relations. The Ministry of Higher Education, which oversees the operation of all institutes of higher education in Iran, was established in 1967. In 1980, a major overhaul in the academia and higher education system of Iran initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini led to what is referred to in Iran as "Iran's Cultural Revolution". In 1986, the ''Ministry of Higher Education'' handed over supervision and overseeing of education in the medical sciences in Iran to the ''Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education''. This was to optimize use of the medical resources in the country, and to promote health, treatment, teaching, and research more efficiently in the field. After the Iran-Iraq War , some new universities were founded and doctoral programs were developed in the previous universities. The number of university students is now more than six times as many as in 1979 , so that critics debate whether the national entrance exam is useful anymore or not. UNIVERSITIES ]] In 1994, Iran had over 2.2 million students enrolled in universities. Iran currently has 54 state operated universities, and 42 state medical schools. These are primarily the top choice for students in national entrance exams, and have the largest and most prestigious programs. There are 289 major private universities operating as well.[http://www.msrt.ir/htm/Ministry/History.htm Strong competition exists between top ranking Iranian universities. According to the latest ranking published by Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, University Of Tehran stays on top, succeeded by Sharif University Of Technology : # University Of Tehran # Sharif University Of Technology (former Aryamehr University) # Amirkabir University Of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic) # Isfahan University Of Technology # Iran University Of Science And Technology # Shiraz University (former Pahlavi University) # K.N.Toosi University Of Technology # Shahid Beheshti University (former Melli University) # Bahonar University Of Kerman # Ferdowsi University Of Mashad # University Of Isfahan # University Of Tabriz School of Dentistry]] None of these universities however are mentioned in the 2005 . {Link without Title} For the case of Iran however, these rankings are questionable in assessing Iran's institutions of higher education, as graduates from these universities end up matriculating into the competitive elite graduate schools of Europe and the United States in comparatively large numbers. In the medical schools, the list of the most top ranked universities is: # Tehran University Of Medical Sciences {Link without Title} (ranking news bulletin in Persian) # Shahid Beheshti University Of Medical Sciences {Link without Title} (ranking news bulletin in Persian) # Mashad University Of Medical Sciences {Link without Title} (ranking news bulletin in Persian) # Iran University Of Medical Sciences # Shiraz University Of Medical Sciences In all these schools, except for private universities such as the ''Islamic Azad University'' system, tuition and room and board, is mostly paid for by the government. The universities themselves largely operate on state budgets. Some schools offer degrees in conjunction with European Universities. The Institute For Advanced Studies In Basic Sciences in Zanjan for example, sends students and faculty to The International Centre For Theoretical Physics in Trieste , Italy for workshops, seminars, and summer schools. The Iranian government also offers intensely competitive but fully paid scholarships for successful applicants to pursue PhD level studies in Britain. List of Iranian universities ''See main article: List Of Universities In Iran '' IRAN'S BRAIN DRAIN PROBLEM Brain Drain in Iran is nothing new. On Oct 31 of 1979, after a bloody revolution, such responded Ayatollah Khomeini to a reported trend of Brain Drain in Iran: "They say there is a brain drain. Let these decayed brains go away. Is any brain with science in it honorable? Why should we worry about these brains fleeing to the US and England? Why are you worried that they are being executed? Are they fleeing? To hell with them. Let them flee. All the better. They have no place in Iran." The trend continued during the Iran-Iraq War , and after a post-war relative calm, picked up once again during the unprecedented incursion of the clerical establishment in Iranian universities, the last firm bastion of Iran's reformists. In November 2005 a cleric became chancellor of the University Of Tehran , replacing Dr. Faraji-dana. Hojjatol Eslam Abbasali Amid Zanjani (عباسعلی عميد زنجانی) holds no academic degree, and is known for his strong ties to Ayatollah Khomeini . This is the first time ever that Iran's clerical establishment replaces the traditional academia to head a major academic institution. He has however written several books and has served on the faculty of the ''College of Law'' as an expert on Islamic Jurisprudence.(''source: BBC Persian '') Such trends are thought to be accelerating what many see as Iran's largest exodus of talented faculty, students, and researches to western Europe , Canada , and the United States . The lengthy List Of Iranian Chairs And Directors Of Academia In These Countries is arguably a sound index of this reality. Iran's "Brain Drain" has become a focus of the media both domestically and internationally. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} A report by ''The Washington Prism'' in Jan 2006 claims that the reports the figure to be 200,000. {Link without Title} And yet in spite of this situation and Iran's technological and industrial isolation due to political conditions in the past 25 years, Iran continues to maintain high levels of education and research in its major universities. Iranian students continue to win technical tournaments in Robotics , Computer Science, and other fields of engineering and science every year (example) , and Iranians continue to increase the number of their publications in technical journals despite their highly limited facilities and resources. To gain admission into universities, Iranian applicants must take a national entrance exam given once a year. Roughly two million applicants take part each year, but only the top 100,000 (or the top 5%) are admitted. To gain entry into the top caliber of schools, a score rank of under 5000 is usually required. To gain entry into a medical school in Tehran, a score rank of under 100. The high level of competition creates a tense atmosphere for many prospective students. Many of the better students however eventually end up migrating to western Europe and North America due to Iran's inability to absorb this highly talented potential workforce into its current job market after graduation. Iran's best faculty and skilled specialists also live outside Iran for the same reasons. Other sources also verify that Iran has been topping the brain drain list for some time now. According to the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Higher Education, there are approximately 50,000 Iranian students currently studying abroad. PROMINENT LIBRARIES IN IRAN
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