Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman (SBUK)
دانشگاه شهيد باهنر کرمان
Type	Public
President	Mohammad Javad Fadaee
Academic staff	500
Administrative staff	1,000
Students	~ 20,000
Location	Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran Coordinates: 30°15′06″N 57°06′25″E / 30.251653°N 57.106930°E / 30.251653; 57.106930
Campus	Urban
Website	www.uk.ac.ir

Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman (SBUK) is a research institution and university of engineering and science in Iran, offering both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Located in Kerman province of Iran, the university is among the top ten universities and research institutes in Iran, illustrating its high status in research and education.^[1] The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman occupies an area of 5 million square meters, making it one of the largest universities in Iran and the region.^[2] The university has two major campuses in the city of Kerman and several smaller campuses spread out across the province of Kerman offering degrees in over 100 different specialties leading to B.A., B.Sc., M.A., M.Sc., D.V.M., or Ph.D. degrees. Although there has been some moves by the smaller campuses in the province to become independent universities, there are still strong ties between these newly established universities and The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. The college of art and architecture is Saba Faculty of Art and Architecture, named after Afzalipour's wife.^[3] Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman was appointed as the Center of Excellence (fa:قطب علمی) by Iran's Ministry of Science and Technology ( Higher Education) in the field of Mathematics.^[4] In 1980 the Department of Mathematics was awarded the first doctoral degree in mathematics in all of Iran.^[5] Moreover the second and third doctoral candidates in mathematics awarded in the country were also graduates of this department.^[5]

History

Alireza Afzalipour, the founder

The university was entirely founded by Alireza Afzalipour on August 9, 1972.^[2]^[6] Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, this university was called the University of Kerman, and it had also included the college of medicine. But after the revolution, the name was changed to the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, and the college of medicine was established as an independent universality, now called Kerman University of Medical Sciences.^[3]

Founder

The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman was founded by a wealthy businessman named Alireza Afzalipour and his wife Fakhereh Saba.^[2] Afzalipour had toured several cities in Iran for the purpose of choosing a site for the construction of a university. He finally decided to build his university in the city of Kerman. The University of Kerman was the first university in the whole province of Kerman.^[7] In 2010, Celebration were held at the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman to mark his 100th birthday anniversary.^[3]

Previous and Current Name

Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the university was known as the University of Kerman. It was later changed to the name of Shahid Bahonar University in order to honor the name of Mr. Bahonar.^[2] Hojatoleslam Mohammad Javad Bahonar (Persian: محمدجواد باهنر, 5 September 1933 – 30 August 1981) was an Iranian scholar, Shiite theologian and politician who served as the Prime minister of Iran from 15 to 30 August 1981 when he was assassinated by Mujahideen-e Khalq MEK, also known as PMOI and KMO.^[8] He is the first Iranian cleric Prime Minister.^[8]

Campuses

The university has two major campuses. One is the Afzalipour Campus, which is located in the southern part of Kerman City and is considered the main campus. The Afzalipour Campus, includes faculty buildings, research centers, the main library, residential halls, the mosque, administrative buildings and several sport venues.^[9] The other main campus is the Campus of Technology and Engineering is located in the western part of Kerman City. The university also has several satellite campuses in the Province of Kerman. The Sirjan Campus, will be accepting graduate level students from the year 2012 and there also plans to make this campus international.^[9] There are also some plans to open an international campus in the island of Qeshm in the Persian Gulf.^[10]

Faculties and Colleges

Colleges bring together academics and students from a broad range of disciplines, and within each faculty or department within the university, academics from many different colleges can be found.^[3]

College of Engineering^[11]
- Department of Industrial Engineering
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Department of Electrical Engineering^[12]
- Department of Computer Engineering^[13]
- Department of Mining Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering^[14]
- Department of Metallurgy Engineering
- Department of Petroleum Engineering
College of Management and Economics^[15]
- Department of Management
- Department of Economics
- Department of Accounting
College of Veterinary Medicine^[16]
- Department of Basic Sciences
- Department of Clinical Studies
- Department of Food Hygiene & Public Health
- Department of Pathobiology
College of Agriculture^[17]
- Department of Irrigation and Water Engineering
- Department of Food Processing Engineering
- Department of Biotechnological Engineering
- Department of Agricultural Machinery
- Department of Agricultural Economics
- Department of Soil Engineering
- Department of Plant Protection
- Department of Plant Breeding
College of Art and Architecture^[18]
- Department of Architecture
- Department of Traditional and Ancient Arts
- Department of Painting
- Department of Carpet Studies
- Department of Restoration of Historic Buildings
College of Mathematics^[19]
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Statistics
- Department of Computer Sciences
College of Literature and Social Sciences^[20]
- Department of Foreign Languages
- Department of Persian Language and Literature
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Social Sciences
- Department of Geography and Urban Planning
- Department of Islamic Studies
- Department of Political Studies
- Department of History
- Department of Library Sciences
College of Physics
College of Geology
College of Sciences^[21]
- Department of Biology
- Department of Chemistry
College of Sports and Athletics^[22]

Satellite Colleges and Campuses

College of Agriculture in the city of Jiroft
- Department of Agricultural Machinery
- Department of Animal Production Technology
- Department of Plant Production Technology
College of Technology in the city of Sirjan
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Mining in the city of Zarand
- Department of Mining

Research Institutes and Centers

Horticultural Research Institute^[23]
The Research Center for Mining Industry^[24]
The Research Center for Islamic and Iranian Culture^[25]
The Research Center for Energy and the Environment^[26]
The Mathematical Research Center of Mahani^[27]
The Research Group for Women and Family Issues^[28]
The Research Group for Molecular Biotechnology^[29]

Library

The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman features several Libraries, there is one main library and also each college has a separate library of its own. The main library of the university is called the Central Library and Documentation Center^[30] The Central Library and Documentation Center and all the other libraries of different colleges of the University are members of the Ghadir (Persian: غدیر‎‎) program for libraries of Iranian universities and higher educational institutes.

Facilities

Sport venues

The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman has different sport venues and maintains a long tradition of student participation in sport and recreation.^[31] The main sports complex of the university consists of several basketball, volleyball and tennis courts and a 5000 spectator football stadium.^[31]

Dormitory

There is a large dormitory complex which houses many students, although there are still some students who need to be housed outside of the university in private dorms.^[3]

Restaurants

Students have the option to either subscribe to the self-service restaurant of the university which serves subsidized meals or dine at the other on-campus restaurants and cafe-shops available.

Research and Innovation

The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman has strong tie with industries especially those located in the Province of Kerman, which has brought an opportunity for the University in providing further budget and fund of research. Since Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman is a state university, research funds are provided by the Government of Iran. Many ISI journal papers and Conference papers are published regularly by faculties, researchers and students of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman.^[3]

Endowment

The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman is a public university and its funding is provided by the government of Iran. For the top ranks of the national university entrance exam, education is free in all state owned and public universities. Students with ranks below the normal capacity of the universities will be required to pay part or all of the tuition.

Language of Instruction

Although the official language of instruction in Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman is Persian, a large number of lecture materials, reference books, homework assignments and even exams are in English. This is especially true for the postgraduates students which English textbooks and materials are introduced to them as the main references.

Academic year

The academic year is divided into three academic terms, determined by the university. The first academic term usually starts on 23 September. The second Academic term usually starts on 11 February, and the Summer term is usually started from 10 July.

Publishing

The University's publishing arm, the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Press, has published many different academic books and journals.

Architecture

The two major campuses of the university have different styles of architecture. The Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman - the Afzalipour Campus has a modernist style of architecture inspired by vernacular architecture of the region. The architecture of this university is very distinct in that almost all of the colleges are connected with each other. All of the colleges have a similar style of architecture.

Afzalipour assigned Bonyan Consulting Company to prepare a campus master plan and design the buildings of the university^[32] Master plan and design concepts were developed so as to tackle the problem of uncertainty.^[32] It was set as a primary goal to have a flexible design both inside the buildings and in their inter-connections. In each stage of development, the campus was to be a complete and coherent whole, still allowing for future expansion without hindering the functioning departments.^[32]

The master plan was inspired by the organic urban grid of Kerman city center that has historically evolved in response to climatic conditions of a desert town.^[32] The height of the main building blocks are restricted to 3, optimizing seismological, climatic, economic and circulation considerations. Interconnection of the blocks on the upper stories, integrates educational and research spaces, thus enhancing flexibility.^[32] These also provide shadow and shelter for open pathways under-passing below.^[32] Careful distancing of blocks, along with articulate projections of the buildings, allow natural and controlled lighting for inner spaces while creating ample shadow for the inner courtyards.^[32] This general arrangement, permits one to cross the whole campus through courtyards and archways with minimal detours, under protection from direct sunlight or rain if needed, or to access other departments from within the buildings and through connecting corridors and internal patios.^[32] Currently two new colleges are being built, an extension to the college of Agriculture, which connects the Saba Faculty of Art and Architecture to the rest of colleges at the campus and also the new college of Management and Economics, which is connected to the rest of colleges via the newly built college of Geology. The Campus of Technology and Engineering has also a unique style of architecture but very different from the style of the Afzalipour Campus.

International Study and Exchange

The Office of International Exchange Programs was established to provide students and faculty with exchange opportunities, including sending and hosting visiting scholars, aiding faculty members in arranging international study tours, developing exchange agreements with universities around the world.

Student Organisations

There are several student organisations active throughout the university. Most of these organisations are only concentrated on academic activities with some also interested and active in political issues.