In late 1981, the Iranian government brought together all military-industrial units and placed them under the Defense Industries Organization (DIO).[2] By 1984, a large number of infantry rifles, machine guns, and mortars and some small-arms ammunition were being manufactured locally. Malek Ashtar University of Technology was approved in 1984 by the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. It was then recognized as a university in 1984.[1]
In 2003, Iranian Space Agency was established in an uninhabited desert area in Semnan Province, southeast of Tehran. The Aerospace Research Institute affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology is active organization in the space science and technology applications. Five public universities, one private university (Azad University Science and Research Branch), and one college (Civil Aviation Technology College) provide higher education and research in aerospace engineering.[5]
Since the 1990s, Iran started to develop a launch vehicle based on Shahab-3. The Iran Space Research Center started testing launch capabilities since early 2007 reaching 150–200 km altitude based on Shahab-3 series. In 2008, they developed a two-stage launch vehicle Safir-1. In 2009, they launched a satellite named Omid into orbit using the domestically built launch vehicle Safir-2, making Iran the ninth nation capable of producing and launching a satellite.[6][5]
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report on the biological activities in Iran, genetic cloning is being carried out at the Malek Ashtar University of Technology.[7][8]
The Iran's activities about biological weapons began in 1985. By 1986, they established a research center in Tehran's Pasteur Institute to work on toxic fungus and microbial substances. The center succeeded in producing toxicfungus, and aflatoxin. In 1987, they moved the facilities to the Imam Hossein University.[8]
Admission in MUT is highly competitive and only top students may achieve this honor and all undergraduate and graduate programs requires scoring among top 1% of students in the Iranian University Entrance Exam, known as Concours (from the French; Konkoor, Konkour, and Konkur are transliterations of the Persian).
Top Ranks in the research tournament in Iran indicate that this university has a high scientific level.[12]
However, according to the evaluation of technical universities in Iran by ISC(Islamic World Science Citation Center), this university was ranked 8 in 2015-2016 and in 2016-2020 ranked 6-10 among all the technical universities of Iran.[13]
In the ranking of world universities by SCimago Institutions Rankings, this university has been ranked 700, 773, 830, 793and 721 in 2018, 2019, 2020,2021 and 2022, respectively.[14]
According to the results of the World Rankings in 2022 by SCimago Institutions Rankings, the world ranking of this university in research is 465 and is in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(813th), Business, Management and Accounting(878th),Chemistry( 792nd), Computer Science(735th),Earth and Planetary Sciences(365th),Energy(576th),Engineering(588th),Aerospace Engineering(507th),Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering(707th),Mechanical Engineering(626th),Environmental Science( 564th),Mathematics(680th),Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics(926th),Physics and Astronomy(596th).
In the ranking of world universities by CWTS Leiden Ranking in 2020(Time period:2015–2018), it has been ranked 1055.[15]
In the ranking of world universities by CWTS Leiden Ranking in 2021(Time period:2016–2019), it has been ranked 1077.[16]
The global ranking of Malek-Ashtar University of Technology in the field of engineering in 2021 in CWTS Leiden Ranking is 481[17] and in SCimago Institutions Rankings is 523.[18]
According to the results of the World Rankings in 2022 by EduRank institute(https://edurank.org/uni/malek-ashtar-university-of-technology/rankings/), the world ranking of this university in the fields of Metallurgical Engineering,Nuclear Engineering,Marine Engineering,Chemical Engineering,Materials Science,Aviation and, Aerospace Engineeringis 525, 556, 689, 878, 888, 928 and, 1000,respectively.
In addition to the sports teams, fraternities, sororities, and study clubs, there are many organizations on campus that focus on entertainment, arts, and culture.[20][21]
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Scientific Society
The Materials Engineering Scientific Society selected as the best national scientific Society by Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in 2009, 2010 and 2011.[3] Also, MUT Physics Scientific Society was honored in Harkat National Festival and selected as a third center of excellence in Iran Scientific Society of Physics.[3]
MUT students compete in club and intramural sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis and ping pong. A wide variety of sports facilities are available at Malek Ashtar University of Technology. The Sports and Recreation Center serves various facilities and fields throughout both Isfahan and Tehran campuses to athletic teams.[21]
