Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences

Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences

دانشگاه تحصیلات تكمیلی علوم پایه زنجان
Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences(IASBS) coat of arms
Type	Public
Established	1991
Founder	Yousef Sobouti
Rector	Babak Karimi (2016-present) HamidReza Khalesifard (2014-2016) Rasoul Khodabakhsh (2010-2014) Yousef Sobouti (1991-2010)
Academic staff	35
Students	700
Undergraduates	145
Postgraduates	555
Location	Gava Zang, Zanjan, Zanjan Province, Iran
Campus	Suburban
Colours	Milano Red      Nobel
Website	http://www.iasbs.ac.ir/

The Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) (Persian: دانشگاه تحصیلات تکمیلی علوم پایه زنجان) is an advanced research center and graduate-level degree-granting institution in Zanjan, Iran. It was founded in 1991 by Prof. Yousef Sobouti, who was the director of the institute until 2010. After that Dr.Rasoul Khodabakhsh was the director till February 2014, and Dr. HamidReza Mohammadi Khalesifard has filled the position since then. The Institute awarded as one of the top advanced research centers in Iran. IASBS was also ranked the IRAN’s top university in 3 of 36 disciplines ranked by QS, including physics, chemistry, and mathematics.

IASBS offers advanced degrees (Masters and above) in Mathematics, Physics, Geophysics, Biophysics and Chemistry. As of 2008, the mathematics department offers Master of Science degrees in Computer Science with concentration on Artificial Intelligence(esp. Multi Agent Systems and Computational Geometry) and Graph & Algorithms.

The university runs two undergraduate programs in Information Technology, one of which is a joint program with Heriot-Watt University of the United Kingdom. The latter, lectured and examined in English language, involves passing modules in both universities at the same time and each student is registered both at IASBS and Heriot-Watt University (i.e. successful students receive a degree from each university).

The library of the university began in 1993 as a small part of the physics department. It moved to a new building about 16 years later. The new library was opened in 2007 and named Torkaman Library after its donor. The library keeps over 20,000 books, 6,500 of which are in Persian, and the other 13,500 are in English and other languages.

In May 2002, Zanjan ICT incubator established by Dr. Jalil Khavandkar in the IASBS for development of technology and business. He followed this by establishing Zanjan Science and Technology Park in June 2009. These two foundations are of the most successful techno-centers in Iran.

Zanjan, a city with a population of 300,000, 350 km to the north-west of Tehran, was chosen for the Institute for Advances Studies in Basic Sciences, (IASBS). The location was far enough from Tehran to not be affected by the distractions of the city but close enough to pursue the many ensuing official and budgetary problems in Tehran.