Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Ancient Jundishapur

The university takes its historical name from Jundishapur, a city whose foundation is traditionally attributed to the Sasanian king Shapur I. Over roughly six centuries the name became synonymous with a major centre of learning in a range of disciplines, reaching its height under Khosrow I Anushirvan in the 6th century.

The exact site of the ancient university city is not established with certainty. According to research by Ahmad Eghtedari, it most probably lay in the area bounded by Shushtar, Susa and Dezful. The village of Shahabad, some 18 kilometres (11 mi) south-east of Dezful and 50 kilometres (31 mi) north-west of Shushtar, is one of the proposed locations.

Modern foundation

The modern institution opened in Ahvaz in Mehr 1334 (September 1955) under the name Gondishapur; shortly afterwards the spelling was changed to Jundishapur. Its buildings were laid out beside the Karun River, adjoining the Ahvaz tropical botanical garden. Several of the buildings and faculties were designed by architects including Kamran Diba and André Godard, making the complex one of the more notable examples of modern campus architecture in Iran.

The Faculty of Agriculture was the first faculty to be established, and agriculture, literature, mathematics and medicine were among the first fields of study offered. On 15 June 1958 (25 Khordad 1337) the first cohort of 38 graduates of the Faculty of Agriculture received their degrees.

Shortly after the university opened, Talat Basari was appointed vice-president, the first woman to reach such a position at a university in Iran.

Renaming

During the Iran–Iraq War, parts of the university's grounds were assigned to Mostafa Chamran, head of the Headquarters of Irregular Warfare. Following his death in action in 1981, the university was renamed in 1982 from Jundishapur University of Ahvaz to Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in his memory.

Separation of the medical faculties

In 1986, under national legislation transferring medical education to the newly created Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the Schools of Medicine, Health, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy separated from the university to form the independent Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.