Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

There have been and are great people in every society who, through their efforts and activities, leave behind a legacy for future generations to benefit from to grow and flourish. “Engineer Alireza Afzalipour” was one of such great people who took a big step towards the growth and excellence of the Kerman Province of Iran by establishing a university in this province.

Who Was Afzalipour?

Alireza Afzalipour was born on March 26, 1909, in Tehran. At the age of 22, he went to France to pursue his higher education and received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bordeaux. He then completed a two-year specialized agricultural chemistry course in the city of Lille and returned to Iran in 1937 and was employed by the Iranian government. He, however, resigned from the government and began to trade in electricity-related products.

In 1970 when Afzalipour was going through the seventh decade of his life, he and his wife, Fakhereh Saba, thought of establishing a university in one of the less developed regions of Iran. A year later, Afzalipour founded a university in Kerman, which is known today as “Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman”.

Since 2003, a prize has been established in honor of Alireza Afzalipour, which is awarded to a top university faculty member and a top researcher in Iran. In the following years, two more awards were created in memory of Alireza Afzalipour’s wife, Fakhereh Saba, and his brother, Ali Afzalipour. The Fakhereh Saba Prize is awarded to artists and the Ali Afzalipour Prize to top students of statistics and chemistry. Also, a prize titled “Top Entrepreneur” has been created on the sidelines of the above-mentioned prizes, which is awarded to Iran’s top entrepreneurs.

History of the Shahid Bahoner University of Kerman

Although the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman had officially been founded in 1970, it took a few years to complete the required preparations, including the construction operations, and, therefore, the first batch of students (90 students) was admitted to this university in 1975 who pursued their higher education in the five fields of “English Language”, “Chemistry”, “Physics”, “Electricity” and “Electronics” in three faculties of “Literature”, “Basic Sciences” and “Technology and Engineering”. Today, with the expansion of the university, the number of its students stands at 14 thousand.

The Educational and Research Status of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman consists of the following 11 faculties:

1. Engineering

2. Literature and Humanities

3. Agriculture

4. Mathematics and Computer

5. Basic sciences

6. Law and Theology

7. Veterinary medicine

8. Management and Economics

9. Physics

10. Physical education

11. Art and Architecture

This university also has a higher education complex in Baft City, two higher education centers (agriculture in Bardsir and carpet in Ravar), a university campus, five research institutes, a research center, and 64 educational groups. The university conducts 67 fields and majors in human sciences, 86 fields and majors in basic sciences, 62 fields and majors in technology and engineering, 45 fields and majors in agricultural sciences, and 9 fields and majors in art. 34 fields and majors are also taught at its subsidiary campus. More than 600 permanent faculty members are serving in this university and so far more than 82 thousand people have graduated from it.

International Position and Activities of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

By observing high educational standards, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman has managed to gain a good position in the world rankings. For example, this university has been ranked 76 to 100 in the Shanghai Ranking of 2023 in the field of mining engineering, making it the third-best university in Iran. Considering the existence of various mines in Kerman province, this position is very important for providing scientific and research-based support in the area of mining exploration and extraction.

Similarly, in the ISC Ranking system that was published in 2021, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman was ranked as one of the top universities in Iran, by gaining the rank of 601 to 700.

The Office of Consular Affairs of this university provides special services for non-Iranian students. Prior to the beginning of every academic year, a call for admission is made for non-Iranians. According to the objectives defined for this university, attracting foreign students is one of the means to raise the quality of education and provide the possibility of scientific exchange with other countries.