Shiraz University
Shiraz University is a public university located in Shiraz, Fars, Iran, established in 1946. Being one of the oldest and most prestigious modern universities in Iran, Shiraz University is listed among the top three research-oriented schools in the nation according to a ranking of Iranian universities based on scientific output. In the first report of state universities ranking and among almost 70 universities and higher education institutes, Shiraz University is regarded as a tier-one university.
Shiraz University has pioneered the establishment of doctoral programs in Iran. Currently and after the separation of medical universities from universities under Ministry of Science, Research and Technology the university has over 20,000 students, with 200 bachelor's degree programs, 300 master's degree programs, one professional degree program, and 150 PhD programs.
History
Foundation
Shiraz University traces its roots to 1946, with the establishment of a technical college aimed at training specialists in the medical sciences with a four-year program. Initially called the High Institute of Health, it developed into a medical school in 1950. In 1953, the Namazi School of Nursing and the Colleges of Agriculture and Arts and Sciences were established. With the addition of the College of Engineering and College of Veterinary Medicine in 1954, the school was elevated to university-status and named after the reigning Pahlavi dynasty. Other units that were subsequently added were the Dental School in 1969, the Graduate School and College of Electronics in 1969, Dentistry in 1970, and the Colleges of Law and Education in 1977.Pahlavi University
In 1960, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran invited the atomic physicist Gaylord P. Harnwell, president of the University of Pennsylvania, to come to Iran and examine Iran's higher education institutions. At the Shah's request, Harnwell prepared a report entitled A Pattern for a New University in Iran, and the Shah subsequently decided that Penn would assist the Iranian government in transforming Pahlavi University into the only institution in Iran based on American-style higher education. The University of Pennsylvania thus became highly influential in shaping many of Pahlavi University's departments and institutions. Harnwell and Penn assisted the Iranian government in establishing American-style higher education by supervising the new university's academic and administrative system in its early years. Many faculty members from Penn were sent to Pahlavi University to teach and carry out research, and a widespread exchange program was established. The president of the University of Pennsylvania was awarded an honorary degree in Shiraz, in recognition of the help of Penn to Pahlavi University.The development of Pahlavi University, as it then was, was directly under the supervision and management of this renowned American university, to the point that the scientific and cultural relations between the two universities became one of the strongest scientific and cultural relationships between Iran and the United States. This continued until the last days of the Shah. In 1962, Isa Sedigh became responsible for implementing the Ivy League's models at Pahlavi University. The development of many courses, the design and development of university campuses, the training of professors, and the establishment of many research institutes at Pahlavi University were all assigned to this Ivy League university. Later, during the administration of Houshang Nahavandi, the famous Kent State University also participated in the formation and development of Pahlavi University.
Pahlavi University became the first university in Iran to receive an international-level accreditation for its degrees, as well as the first Iranian university where a Nobel Prize winner gave a lecture. In the Pahlavi era, Shiraz was called the sister of Princeton in the United States. Linus Pauling, scientist, peace activist, author, and winner of two Nobel Prizes, in Chemistry and Peace, came to Nowruz in Iran in 1975 at the invitation of the Iranian Society of Chemists to deliver a speech to the first Iranian Congress of Chemists. This congress was held at Pahlavi University.
The university was also the first in Iran to have a board of trustees. The members of this board were the minister of the court, the minister of culture, the chancellor of the university, the governor of Fars, the CEO of the Planning Organization, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company, and between nine and fifteen others, competent cultural and financial personalities and captains of industry, chosen by the Ministry of Court and Culture, with the approval of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, and appointed for a period of six months. The chairman of the board of trustees was the minister of the court, and in his absence the minister of culture. This board of trustees was the legal representative of the university at that time, and all scientific, technical, educational, financial, administrative and employment affairs of the university were managed under its supervision. Later, after the Iranian revolution of 1979, ministers Mostafa Moeen and Reza Malekzadeh, both university alumni, introduced a similar system for other universities in Iran.
Image:Unishz3 cut.png|300px|thumb|right|Shiraz University Administration Building
After revolution
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty, drastic changes were implemented at all universities. The name of Pahlavi University was immediately changed to Shiraz University. All universities were closed for three years in a so-called Iran's Cultural Revolution of 1980-1987 to Islamize all the universities. Later in 1986, the Iranian Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education took over the schools related to health and medical sciences including mainly Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing which resulted in the separation of these schools from the university campus and the establishment of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Also in 2004, former Electronic Industries College which was originally founded in 1968, was named Shiraz University of Technology as an independent university.Since then, Shiraz University acted as "The Mother/Maternal University" and became responsible for the establishment of many later founded universities in the south of Iran including Hormozgan, Persian Gulf in Bushehr, Yasouj, Shiraz University of Technology, Fasa, Shiraz University of Arts among others. Shiraz University is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating 166 universities and institutes of higher education in Fars province.
Image:Taq-e Bostan - tree of life.jpg|135px|thumb|left|Taq-e Bostan Tree of Life Relief and The Basic Motif for current Seal
Shiraz University also pioneered many PhD programs for the first time in Iran. Among them are Organic chemistry and Chemistry-Physics.
Seal
The official seal of the Shiraz University serves as the signature and symbol of authenticity on documents issued by the university. Before the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a logo was used as the official logo of Pahlavi University inspired by Persepolis. The logo was inscribed with two words; Wisdom and Endeavor. However, after the revolution, this logo was also changed.After the Revolution, the later seal designed by the current faculty of Department of Arts, Bahman Feizabi inspired by the logo designed for the Asia Institute.
Campus
Eram Paradise Campus (main campus)
Shiraz University has the second-biggest campus in Iran. The Eram Hill lands mostly owned by Shirazi tycoons Mohammad Namazi and Zabihollah Ghorban dedicated to university and was initially designed by American architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center. Later in 1968 during the further constructing of the university campus and while Shiraz was getting ready to host its first Shiraz Arts Festival, many Iranian visual artists including Parviz Tanavoli, Sohrab Sepehri, Abolghasem Saeedi, Bahman Mohasses and Hossein Zenderoudi got involved designing artistic elements and wall paintings for the amphitheater, self-service dining and outside the campus.In 1969, during the first Shiraz art festival, with the suggestion and invitation of Farah Pahlavi, then Queen of Iran a complex was designed by renowned contemporary architect, Alvar Aalto, for Shiraz Museum of Arts. The project halted due to the sudden death of Aalto in 1976. In 2016 Aalto University and Finnish embassy in Iran contacted Shiraz University regarding full documentation of design drafts by Aalto himself. In 2018, Shiraz Municipality and a two Iranian and Finnish investing partners got involved in project although the project halted once again because of new sanctions and lack of budget.
After more than 70 years, the university campus originally designed plan for central dormitory and school buildings is still not completed and is under construction under multi-year planning. After the 1979 revolution, many lands owned by the university divided due to different causes such as separation of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, insufficiency of maintenance costs, lack of budget, urban planning, or other reasons.
The Asia Institute
In 1966, the New York based Asia Institute under Arthur Upham Pope re-established itself under the university supervision at Narenjestan Museum.With the death of Pope, the management of the institute was entrusted to Richard Nelson Frye. Before that, due to the Pope's close relationship with the Iranian royal family, the institute had autonomy, but after him, it went completely under the supervision of the Pahlavi University of Shiraz. This caused tensions in the institution. Among them, Houshang Nahavandi, then chancellor of Pahlavi University, claimed that Gluck, a member of the institute, was involved in smuggling Iranian antiques to Japan and demanded his removal. On the other hand, after receiving the title of professorship from Harvard University, Frye had less time to attend the institute. Despite all this, the research and educational activities of the institute continued. In 1971, on the eve of the celebrations of the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire, the Asian Institute held a large seminar entitled "Iranian Studies" in Shiraz. In 1975, the institute's contract with Dr. Frye ended and Mahyar Navabi, who had previously been the executive director of the institute, was appointed president of the institute. He was the first Iranian president of the Asian Institute of Pahlavi University. At this time, the institute moved from Narenjestan to a larger building on the university campus and became a part of the university's linguistics department.