K. N. Toosi University of Technology
Khajeh Nasir al-Din Toosi University of Technology (KNTU) (), also known as K. N. Toosi University of Technology, is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is named after medieval Persian scholar Khajeh Nasir Toosi. The university is considered one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in Iran. Acceptance to the university is highly competitive, entrance to undergraduate and graduate programs typically requires scoring among the top 1% of students in the Iranian University Entrance Exam. History. The university was founded in 1928, during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, in  Tehran and was named the "Institute of Communications" (). It is therefore considered to be the oldest surviving academic institution across the country. (Iran had universities 800 to 2000 years ago from which only the name, ruins and scientific history have survived.) This institute was later expanded with an Electronic and Electrical Power Engineering department. The 50th anniversary of the establishment of this academic institute was celebrated in 1978, and a commemorative stamp was published by the Post of Iran, before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (see photo). The department of Civil Engineering was founded in 1955 as an Institute of  Surveying. This institute was later joined by the Institutes of Hydraulic Engineering and Structural Engineering. The department of Mechanical Engineering was founded in 1973. These institutes of higher education were formally integrated in 1980 and named "Technical and Engineering University Complex". As a general practice of paying tribute to the scientific and scholastic figures of the nation, the university was renamed in 1984 "Khajeh Nassir-Al-Deen Toosi (K. N. Toosi) University of Technology". It is affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran. As of 2012, the university is planning high-tech projects, including the production  of a new satellite called 'Saar' (Starling) as well as radar-evading coatings for aircraft. The university's scientific board are also involved in many industrial projects, including the building of satellite carriers and an indigenous eight-seat helicopter. Rankings. In the latest university rankings announced by the "Times Higher Education Supplement" in September 2016, K. N. Toosi University of Technology was ranked among the top 5 universities in Iran and in the range of 601 to 800 top universities in the world. Also ranked 400-450th in QS World University Rankings in the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering field. In  2020 Round University Ranking-Clarivate announced that K. N. Toosi University of Technology has achieved the 470th place in the world overall ranking. Faculties. The faculties of this university were founded as follows : Due to the varied origins of K. N. Toosi University of Technology, the faculties are not concentrated in one campus. As a result, the university has five campuses and a central building. However, the plan for centralizing the university is underway. Each faculty has its own computer center, library and education services office. All libraries are attached to the Simorgh library network. Housing facilities are available for  men, women and couples. There are sports facilities on all campuses. The university is programming the development of a branch in Venezuela and research centers in Tehran. The Central Building on Mirdamad Ave., Tehran, is the managing body of the university and the presidency, all vice presidencies, the central academic services and registrar's office are in this building. Management of education services happens through the Golestan education management system, while research is managed via the Sepid research management system. Programs. The university offers Bachelor's (B.S.) degrees in more than 20 and Master's (M.S.) degrees in 50 academic  fields. It also has 28 PhD programs. It hosts more than five joint educational programs at B.S. and M.S. levels. The courses have industrial orientation on a broad base. The university has 250 full-time faculty members. The total number of students is about 7,000. Faculty of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering was founded in 1928. It is the main and the oldest faculty of K. N. Toosi University of Technology. It is also the first electrical engineering school in Iran. The faculty has more than 70 full-time faculty members. It is among the best  electrical engineering schools in Iran, especially in graduate studies in the field of Communications, Controls, and Biomedical Engineering. The Faculty of Computer Engineering was founded in 2014 after separating from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. It offers the following programs: These faculties are at Seyedkhandan Bridge, beside the Ministry of Communication. A recreational center is on this campus. Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. This is the youngest of the KNTU faculties. Its core was formed as Aerospace group in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in 2000. It provided MSc programs in aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics and aerospace structures. In 2001, it  launched the first MSc program in space machinery engineering in Iran. In 2004, the BSc joint aerospace engineering program with MATI (Moscow State Aviation Technological University) was launched. In 2006, the Faculty had officially become independent from the Mechanical Engineering faculty and the first group of BSc state students were admitted through the Iranian University Entrance Examinations. During the years 2000-2007 the faculty used the facilities of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty. In June 2007, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering moved to its new campus, and the faculty became independent. Some of the facilities of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering  (such as workshops) were kept on the Aerospace Engineering campus. The campus is on University Boulevard, Vafadar St., Tehranpars. It has a large library that is being equipped. The aerospace engineering student accommodation is just beside the faculty. The Nasir Gym (K. N. Toosi University of Technology's newest recreational building) is also beside the faculty. There are plans for building recreational facilities, including a gym, at this site. The workshop complex of the university is ont this campus. There are about 170 students studying at the faculty and there are 10 full-time faculty members. The faculty also uses  many part-time professors, usually from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The first group of joint program students were sent to Russia in August 2007. The faculty is going to launch its P.H.D program in 2008. The faculty was the host of the sixth national and second international Conference of the Iranian Aerospace Society. A new research Center was established at the faculty in 2007, conducting industrial research in aerospace. There are research laboratories at the faculty, including: The table below shows the programs available at the faculty: Faculty of Civil Engineering. This faculty comprises six groups: Earthquake engineering-water  engineering-soil engineering-structural engineering-transportation engineering-environmental engineering. It offers the following programs: The campus is jointly used by this faculty and the Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering. The library contains about 7,000 books in Persian, 6,000 books in English and other foreign languages, 130 journals in different languages, and 150 thesis and research reports. The university's bookshop is on this campus. There is a housing facility and some sport facilities. The faculty has several fully equipped labs used for research or teaching. The laboratories are as follows: This faculty is expert in concrete engineering and has  won national and international awards for its achievements in this field. These include first place in 2002 and 2003, second place in 2001. and third place in 2004 in the cement competitions of the American Concrete Institute (ACI). They have been awarded third place in the bridge design and construction with Balsa wood competition in 2003. The students publish a scientific journal named "Abanegan آبانگان" dedicated to water engineering. The faculty has 28 full-time faculty members. It is at Valiasr St., opposite the Eskan towers. Student accommodation, a recreational center and the university's bookshop is on this campus . The E-Learning Center. In 2004 K. N. Toosi University of Technology started its E-Learning programs. The following programs are available: This center is in the central building of the university (Mirdamad Ave.). Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics. The educational activities of this faculty started in 1954 as Geomatics Institute. This was shortly after the establishment of the Geomatics Organization of Iran. The mission of the newly established Geomatics Institute was mainly to train professional geomatics workforce for governmental organizations. In 1980, this institute joined the newly established K. N. Toosi University of Technology. Initially it was known as  the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the geodesy and geomatics engineering was one of the departments. With the expansion of the university, in 2001, this department made an independent faculty under the name of Geodesy and Geomatic Engineering to meet the growing demand. As the only Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics in Iran, this faculty is recognized as one of the leading educational and research centers of Iran in geodesy and geomatic engineering. With more than 19 full-time faculty members, this faculty offers programs in graduate and undergraduate levels. It offers the following programs: This faculty is located at  Valiasr St., opposite the Eskan towers. Faculty of Industrial Engineering. In 1993, the Department of Industrial Engineering was formed in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. In 1999, this department was separated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering to continue its activities as an independent Faculty. Programs and degrees presented at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering: Laboratories: Research capabilities and interests: This faculty is in the Mollasadra building, Pardis St., Mollasadra St., Vanak Sq. It also operates a building at Seyedkhandan Bridge, Dabestan Alley. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering was founded in 1973. In June 2007, the Faculty  of Mechanical Engineering moved to its new campus. The faculty has 44 full-time faculty members. It offers the following programs: This faculty is in the Mollasadra building, Pardis St., Mollasadra St., Vanak Sq. Faculty of Science. The ex-Faculty of Basic Sciences started its activities in 1980 by presenting basic science courses to engineering students of different disciplines. In 1987, the expansion of the Faculty allowed admission of undergraduate applied science students and the name was altered to Faculty of Science. The Faculty consists of four departments: Applied Chemistry, Applied Physics, Mathematics, and the Department of General Courses. The  latter department provides courses in theology and ethics, Persian literature, English, and physical education. This faculty is at Kavian St., Jolfa St., Shariati St. A recreational center is on this campus. This faculty provides the following programs: Faculty of Materials science and engineering. The K. N. Toosi University of Technology (KNTU) began its activities in the field of Materials Science and Engineering in 2001, with the establishment of a M.Sc. degree in Characterization and Selection of Engineering Materials Program, as a sub-branch of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. In 2010, the activities and scope of the Materials Program were  expanded to offer a Ph.D. degree, followed in 2011 by another M.Sc. degree in Metals Forming and a B.Sc. degree in Industrial Metallurgy. In the year 2013, with the approval of KNTU as well as the Council for Promoting Higher Education in the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, the Materials Program was promoted into the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering. The faculty began its e-Learning Program, offering M.Sc. degrees in Characterization and Selection of Engineering Materials in 2013, and Metals Forming in 2016. Another M.Sc. degree in Nanomaterials was launched in 2017. The Faculty of Materials Science  and Engineering now hosts 11 full-time faculty members. Joint international programs. KNTU is collaborating in research and teaching programs with many universities around the world. In this regard, memoranda of understanding have been signed between KNTU and universities from Australia, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The courses in most international programs are offered in English. Admission to these programs is either through the National Entrance Exam (Konkoor) or through special exams conducted by KNTU. The tuition fee varies for each program. The following joint international programs are active: Research. K. N. Toosi University of Technology  is known for its industrial relations. It conducts research for many companies such as Iran Khodro, Saipa, Aerospace Industries Organization. Research is conducted in all the KNTU laboratories and even research groups such as ARAS exist within faculties. The Launch Vehicle research center has started its work at the faculty of Aerospace Engineering, one of the first centers of its kind. There are several centers of excellence at this university including the following: There are several research centers at this university including: There are several research laboratories at this university including: There are workshops such as the following, in many  of which research is conducted: Department of applied chemistry. The department has 12 full-time faculty members specialized in chemical physics, analytical chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, and electrochemistry. Besides the undergraduate program, the department offers an undergraduate program leading to BSc in applied chemistry and graduate programs leading to MSc and PhD degrees in related disciplines.