Higher Education in Iran; from Dar-al-Funun to Payam-e-Noor

Dar al-Funun, founded by Amir Kabir, originally was conceived as a polytechnic to train officersand civil servants to pursue the regeneration of the state that Amir Kabir had begun, butas the first educational institution giving instruction in modern learning, it had far wider impact.Among the subjects taught were medicine, surgery, pharmacology, natural history,mathematics, geology, and natural science. The school was established in 1851, training 287students by 1889, and had graduated 1100 students by 1891. During this time, the facultyconsisted of 16 European, and 26 Iranian professors. Dar al-Funun developed and expandedits mission over the next hundred years, eventually becoming the University of Tehran. Duringthe last three decades, higher education in Iran has witnessed enormous expansion. Presently,more than 5 million students are enrolled in the universities. The admission of so manystudents of only average ability to higher education requires a decline in academic standards.The supply of graduates in many fields of study is exceeding the demand for their skills,which aggravates graduate unemployment, as well as educational inflation.