Other Names: Tehran Polytechnic University
Location: Tehran
Size: Multiple departments with 400 full-time staff supporting up to 7,000 students
Subordinate To: AEOI
Primary Function: Education in applied sciences and technology

Description:

Tehran's Amir Kabir University of Technology (AKU) has programs in nuclear science and operates laboratories that conduct applied research. AKU was founded in 1958 as the Tehran Polytechnic University. It presently has over 400 full-time teaching staff and can accommodate up to 7000 students. It has fourteen engineering departments, five research centers, and an associated university complex located near Tehran. The Physics Department conducts research in condensed matter and statistical physics; nuclear and particle physics; plasma physics; and nuclear engineering. AKU and AEOI cooperate closely on several projects. For example, between 1999 and 2002, AEOI used AKU facilities to conduct tests on centrifuge rotors, with and without inert gas. AKU may also have been used as a front to procure nuclear components. For instance, university representatives have attempted to purchase neutron-shielding equipment from US firms for reactor and other experiments.

Key Sources:
[1] Tehran Home Service, 18 September 1985; in BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 1 October 1985; The World of Learning, p. 767; Amir Kabir University, http://www.aut.ac.ir/aboutaku/about_amirkabir_university.htm.
[2] "Physics Department," Amir Kabir University, http://www.aut.ac.ir/departments/phys/index.htm.
[3] "Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program: Iranian Procurement Fronts," Mednews, 8 June 1992.

	Updated January 2006