The Malek Ashtar University is heavily involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The institution's main purpose is to fulfill the research, development, and education needs of the Ministry of Defense and Revolutionary Guards Corps. The university' chemistry department allegedly conducted research on beryllium, a material used in the trigger mechanisms of nuclear weapons. [1] Iranian dissidents such as former MAU employee Shahram Amiri also claim that the university is involved in the production of centrifuges for uranium enrichment. [2]

Sources:
[1] "List of Iranian Entities or Individuals Targeted for UN Sanctions," AFP, 23 December 2006.
[2] Thomas Fuller, "Iran Rejects Calls to Halt Uranium Processing," The International Herald Tribune, 10 August 2005; Salman Masood and Alan Cowell, "Pakistan Says Iranian Scientist is at its Embassy in U.S.; "Nuclear Expert Tehran Says was Seized by C.I.A. is to be Sent Back Home," The International Herald Tribune, 14 July 2010, p. 5.