University of Guilan

Gilan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran and lies along the Caspian Sea. Due to its favorable climate, this province has many forests and fertile soil for agriculture. The province has always been considered as one of the most important regions of Iran with regard to agriculture. As the main center of higher education in this province, University of Guilan is regarded as one of the top universities in Iran in the field of activities related to agriculture and related industries.

History

The establishment of Guilan University dates back to 1974 CE when a contract was signed between the governments of Iran and West Germany, which included the establishment of a center of higher education. Two years after the establishment of Guilan University, the two centers of higher education of the province, namely Rasht School of Commerce and Lahijan School of Management which had been established six years earlier were merged into Guilan University in order to follow the process of higher education in this province more coherently.

Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the activities of Guilan University were continued without dependence on Germany. The university had eight fields of study and 500 students and with the expansion of higher education in Iran the faculties of “Basic Sciences”, “Technology”, “Agricultural Sciences”, “Humanities”, and “Medicine” were also established at this university.

Activities

Presently, Guilan University is active in 137 fields of higher education at the undergraduate level, 253 fields at the master’s level, and 154 fields at the Ph.D. level. The 10 faculties of the university include:

• Agricultural Sciences
• Art and Architecture
• Engineering
• Engineering and Technology (Eastern Guilan)
• Literature and Humanities
• Mathematical Sciences
• Mechanical Engineering
• Natural Resources
• Physical Education
• Sciences
• Management and Economics

600 full-time faculty members and 18,000 students have made this university the largest center of higher education in northern Iran.

The university also has the following two research centers:

The Guilanology Research Center

This research center was established with the aim of conducting research on the culture and climate of Gilan province and its natural resources. Sustainable development and creating a desirable society are other goals of this research center the establishment of which dates back to 2014.

The Caspian Sea Basin Research Center

The proximity of Gilan province to the world’s largest lake, with a width of about 390 thousand square kilometers and a water volume of nearly 78 thousand cubic kilometers, has greatly increased the importance of research on this lake. The lives of the residents of Gilan and other surrounding areas of the Caspian Sea are tied to it, and getting to know this lake better can improve the quality of their lives. Therefore, were established in 2005 with three laboratories “River and Sea Engineering”, “sea Biology”, and “Water and Sewage” and three research groups “Marine Sciences”, “Marine Industries”, and “Water and Environment” in order to make the most appropriate interaction of the people of the Caspian Sea possible.

International Activities and Position of Guilan University

Guilan University has a close relationship with the members of the Union of State Universities of Caspian Countries. It has also signed memorandums of understanding with some universities in Southeast Asia and the European Union.

This university has been introduced as one of the top universities in Iran by the three world ranking systems of Times, Leyden, and Shanghai. In the Shanghai ranking presented in 2023, Guilan University was ranked 301 to 400 in the field of mechanical engineering. In the ISC ranking published in 2021, too, the university was introduced as one of the top universities in Iran in the field of agricultural sciences with a rank of 501 to 600.

Guilan University admits foreign students every year. In the academic 2023-2024, about 300 foreign students are studying at this university, and according to its officials, more facilities will be provided to attract non-Iranian students in the coming years.