Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Ferdowsi University of Mashhad stands 3rd among Iranian universities and plans to gain the second place in the region, said FUM President Professor Mohammad Kafi in an exclusive interview.

FUM’s success can be attributed to improved performances across four main indicators including the methodology of teaching, research quality, international prospect and general facilities. More specifically, the scientific papers produced by faculty members and students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad have become more influential and the university has been more successful in attracting international talents.

“Ferdowsi University of Mashhad has a single main campus set in 300 hectares of beautiful parkland. Based on green metric, FUM is ranked 238 globally and third on the national level,” FUM President Professor Mohammad Kafi stated.

Ferdowsi University of Mashhad currently offers 140 majors in 13 faculties and enjoys the accompany of 850 full-time academic members with more than 23,000 students out of which 1450 are international students coming from 17 countries.

According to Professor Mohammad Kafi “there are, indeed, many university ranking systems in the world. Based on the Leiden ranking system, FUM is among the top 537 universities worldwide and according to the Times ranking system, we stand around the 800th rank on a global basis.”

Professor Kafi says, “Today, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad places far more emphasis on the sciences than it has done before, as evident in the expansion and promotion of university facilities up to an international level. Regarding facilities such as central library, computer centers, transportation, consultation services, daycare centers and sports facilities, this university is the most well-equipped in the country”.

He continued: “Due to the presence of the holy shrine of Imam Reza, Mashhad is a favorite study destination for Shia Muslims. For the reason, large number of Iraqi students would like to pursue their education in Mashhad and Ferdowsi University. At the moment, we have around 300 Iraqi students and more than 500 Afghan students here at FUM”.

“Regarding the future prospects of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, our target is to be placed among the top 500 universities in the world and we aim to get placed among the top 10 universities in Islamic countries”, said Professor Kafi, the President of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

“On a broader scale, we are trying to promote the existing scientific collaborations between Iran and neighboring countries including India, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon”. Professor Kafi reiterated, “Now we aim to establish collaborations between Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and the top eight Russian universities”. “In fact, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad has already signed several memorandums of understanding with top universities in the EU, including Sorbonne University and the University of Strasbourg.”