The Historical Development of Shahid Beheshti University’s Establishment

Although sixty years have passed since the official establishment of Shahid Beheshti University (since 1959 in the Solar Hijri calendar), a review of available documents and records [1] reveals that the idea of founding a national university in Iran dates back to 1911 (1290 SH). The documents show that a request to establish a medical school for this university was submitted in 1952 (1331 SH) by Mr. Mehdi Firouzabadi and Abdolbaqi Farbod to the Ministry of the Royal Court [2]. Other documents also indicate a decision to establish the “National University School” [3], a license granted by the Ministry of Education to an Iranian named Abolhassan Khan Sharif in 1955 (1334 SH), though this decision was revoked two years later due to certain changes.

Some other documents [4] refer to a speech delivered by Dr. Ali Sheikh al-Islam on behalf of Iranian students to Mohammad Reza Shah during his visit to the United States in 1954 (1333 SH). This speech is considered a starting point for the proposal to establish the university. In July 1959 (Tir 1338 SH), a group of university professors—including Jahanshah Saleh and some faculty members from the University of Tehran—requested a meeting with Mohammad Reza Shah to discuss the founding of the university.

Reasons for the Establishment of the University

In Dr. Sheikh al-Islam’s speech, it was noted that the most important reason for establishing a national university in Iran was to prevent the migration of Iranian youth abroad. Other reasons included reducing unemployment among graduates in the country, the inefficiency of the university system at the University of Tehran, and the desire to bring about positive changes in the country overall.

Date of the University’s Establishment

After conducting a comprehensive study on non-governmental universities abroad, Dr. Ali Sheikh al-Islam returned to Iran and, in December 1959 (Azar 1338 SH), opened an unofficial office on Ramsar Street in Tehran to follow up on the university’s establishment. In March 1961 (Esfand 1339 SH), this unofficial office was moved to No. 57 Pasteur Street by order of Mohammad Reza Shah and with the approval of Hossein Ala. The main responsibility of the office was to identify Iranian graduates in Europe and the United States who did not have official or clear employment.

After the official inauguration of the university by the Shah, 1.5 million square meters of land in the Saadat Abad area of Tehran were allocated to the university. However, after a year of technical and scientific studies, it was determined that due to the lack of proper roads and basic infrastructure in the area, the land would remain under the university’s ownership but would not be used immediately. Instead, 70,000 square meters of land in the Evin area—which previously housed the Hilton Hotel and facilities of the Ministry of Agriculture—were allocated to the university [6].

Opposition to the Establishment of the National University

As the idea of establishing the new university progressed, opposition began to emerge. The main source of this opposition was the Board of Directors of the University of Tehran at the time, including Dr. Ahmad Farhad Mo’tamed (President of the University of Tehran), Dr. Meymandi Nejad (Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine), and Engineer Abdollah Riazi (Dean of the Faculty of Engineering). Their primary argument was that the University of Tehran was not yet fully developed and that priority should be given to its expansion.

Establishment of the National University of Iran

On November 8, 1960 (1339 SH), the official charter of the National University was drafted and approved by the Supreme Council of Culture. This charter consisted of five chapters and twenty-two articles. According to it, the Board of Trustees was composed of 9 legal entities and 3 natural persons. The legal members included the Minister of the Royal Court, the Director General of the Pahlavi Foundation, the Minister of Culture, a member of the Senate, two members of the National Assembly, the Director of the National Bank of Iran, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and the University President. The natural members were three prominent scientific and economic figures from the country. On February 25, 1961, the university was officially inaugurated with two faculties: the Faculty of Banking and Financial and Economic Sciences, and the Faculty of Architecture. In its first year, the university admitted 200 students.

Changes in the National University

The term “national” referred to non-governmental institutions that relied on tuition fees paid by students to cover their expenses. Thus, the National University, which was independently managed and based on student tuition, initially admitted only students from the middle and upper classes of society, as paying tuition was difficult for many other social groups. However, in 1974 (1353 SH), after tuition fees were abolished at the university, students from all social classes were able to enroll, and the university began admitting students more broadly.

After the Islamic Revolution

After the Islamic Revolution in 1979 (1358 SH), a law issued by the Revolutionary Council declared the National University a public (state) university. In June 1983 (1362 SH), the Cultural Revolution Headquarters approved changing the university’s name from “National University of Iran” to “Shahid Beheshti University.” In 1985 (1364 SH), following a decision by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government to establish the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the medical and health sciences faculties were separated from Shahid Beheshti University and began operating independently as “Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.”

Now, on the 60th anniversary of its founding, Shahid Beheshti University includes 19 faculties, 11 research centers, nearly 900 faculty members, and more than 19,000 students.

Chronological Order of the Establishment of Shahid Beheshti University Faculties

As mentioned, the university began admitting students in 1960 (1339 SH) with the Faculty of Banking and Financial and Economic Sciences and the Faculty of Architecture. By 1966 (1345 SH), the following faculties had been established:

• In 1961 (1340 SH): Faculty of Medicine
• In 1962 (1341 SH): Faculty of Foreign Languages
• In 1963 (1342 SH): Faculty of Sciences
• In 1965 (1344 SH): Faculty of Dentistry
• In 1966 (1345 SH): Faculty of Law