Hakim Sabzevari University

Hakim Sabzevari University is a public higher education institution in the city of Sabzevar, north-eastern Iran. Founded in 1973 as Kar University, the institution was closed for around eight years during the Iran revolution. It was reopened in 1987 as a branch of Tarbiat Moallem University of Tehran but later became independent. In 2011, the university was renamed Hakim Sabzevari University after Hadi Sabzevari, a prominent 19th century Iranian philosopher and poet. Today, HSU offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses across a range of subject areas, including sciences, mathematics and engineering, literature and theology, geography and architecture among others. HSU boasts good sports facilities on campus, including an indoor swimming pool, volleyball and basketball courts, table tennis and astro-turf fields for athletics and football. On-site accommodation is available to a capacity of 1,800, with women given priority. The campus also has a variety of shops, cafeterias and bakeries, as well as a student health and counselling centre. The university is open to men and women, and has a student population of around 8,200, including a small population of international students. More recently, HSU has opened a centre for Persian language studies, which is compulsory for non-native speakers. International students can apply to study at the university at two specific entry points in the year without taking part in an entrance exam, if they pay full tuition fees. There is an age limit on enrollment, however – undergraduate courses are open to students under the age of 26 and master’s courses are open to applicants under 28.