Art University of Isfahan

Isfahan is one of the historical cities of Iran, where many aspects of Iranian and Islamic arts are displayed in the most beautiful way. Due to the variety of natural, artistic, and historical attractions it has, this ancient city is called "Half of the World" by the Iranian people. This rich background has been the cause of efforts to preserve the original Iranian arts by establishing several schools of art in this city. Until a few decades ago, the transfer of different techniques of producing works of art of Isfahani origin was done in the form of in-person training, but with the establishment of the Art University of Isfahan, as one of the four Iranian universities, which engage in educating and training students, specialized education and training in the fields of traditional and new arts, have come to be of a different essence.

History of Art University of Isfahan

Art University of Isfahan was established as “Isfahan Pardis College” in the year 1977. At first, this educational unit was affiliated with "Farabi University", but it gained independence after the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979 when Farabi University was merged into four other art educational units that led to the establishment of Tehran University of Art.

The main objective of establishing this college was to train specialists in the field of restoration and preservation of historical monuments and artifacts and this made the Art University of Isfahan the first center of higher education that trained graduates in the fields of archeology, painting, interior architecture, construction, chemistry, and textile. This college also admitted students at the postgraduate level in the two fields of "Restoration of Monuments" and "Restoration of Historical Artifacts".

Eventually, after the expansion of educational units and disciplines, this college was promoted to being a university in 2000. Currently, this university is operating with 125 faculty members.

A Unique Feature of Isfahan Art University

The whereabouts of this university in the city of Isfahan, which is the center of the crystallization of authentic Iranian and Islamic arts, provides students with a special opportunity to experience life in an artistic atmosphere. The educational spaces of the university are located in historical buildings and this feature makes this university very ideal for studying art disciplines.

The Isfahan University of Art is considered the scientific pole of restoration in Iran, and it is the only university that accepts students at the Ph.D. level in two majors: "Restoration of Artifacts" and "Restoration of Monuments".

Educational and Research Activities of Isfahan Art University

Presently, nearly three thousand students are studying in five faculties of " Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship", "Conservation and Restoration", "Handicrafts", "Architecture and Urban Planning" and "Visual Arts".

This university publishes four specialized journals in the fields of “Art”, "Restoration of Monuments", "Comparative Studies", and "Archaeology and Art History of the Ancient East" with the aim of publishing the latest research results of its researchers and students.

The “Center for the Specialized Development of Art” is another department of this university that has been established with the aim of commercializing art, creating a suitable environment for the formation of art-based companies, hosting creative industries, promoting art-based entrepreneurship and generation of wealth through artworks, and promoting the higher education system in art. This center was established in 2015 in collaboration with Isfahan Scientific and Research Town and so far, more than 30 companies and active bodies in the fields of handicrafts, tourism, industrial design, cultural products, cinematic effects, animation, architecture, and urban planning are stationed in it.

The Office of Scientific and International Cooperation of this university is responsible for the expansion of inter-university relations at the international level. This office is engaged in planning international meetings, holding inter-university scientific events, and establishing relations with foreign research institutes and scientific centers. Determining the conditions for granting admission to non-Iranian students and notifying the rules and procedures for admitting foreign students is also done by this office.