About the Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry commenced its activities in 1975 by admitting 30 students to the teacher training program at the Sanandaj Teacher Training College, which was then a campus of the Teacher Training University of Tehran. In 1976, with the establishment of Razi University in Kermanshah, the Sanandaj Teacher Training College was incorporated into Razi University and continued its operations in this capacity until 1979. Following the onset of the Cultural Revolution in 1980, the Sanandaj Teacher Training College was closed. Upon the reopening of universities in 1983, all students of the college were transferred to Razi University, while the college itself remained closed, and most of its faculty members were recruited by other universities.

In February 1987, the Sanandaj Teacher Training College resumed its activities by admitting 30 students, supported by two full-time instructors and one technical expert. During this period, some courses were taught by visiting professors from neighboring universities. In 1991, when the University of Kurdistan became independent from Razi University, the Department of Chemistry continued its operations within the Faculty of Basic Sciences, achieving self-sufficiency by recruiting new faculty members.

In 1997, in addition to the teacher training track, the department began admitting students to a major in Pure Chemistry. In 1999, it obtained approval to offer a major in Applied Chemistry for the second semester and commenced admissions for this undergraduate program.

The department launched its first Master of Science (M.S.) programs in Organic and Physical Chemistry in 2000, with an initial cohort of 7 students. This was followed by the introduction of an M.S. program in Analytical Chemistry in 2001. In 2005, an M.S. program in Inorganic Chemistry was established with an inaugural class of 8 students. Subsequently, an M.S. program in Nanochemistry was introduced in 2013 with 7 students, and an M.S. program in Polymer Chemistry was launched in 2017 with 8 students.

The department began its doctoral (Ph.D.) programs in 2005, admitting the first two Ph.D. students in Analytical Chemistry. In 2009, it admitted its first Ph.D. students in Organic, Physical, and Inorganic Chemistry, with a cohort of 7 students. The Ph.D. program in Nanochemistry was established in 2017 with an initial intake of 4 students, and in 2023, the Ph.D. program in Polymer Chemistry admitted its first 3 students.

The first postdoctoral researchers commenced their work in the field of Analytical Chemistry in 2013, with other specializations within the department subsequently admitting postdoctoral fellows in the following years.

Currently, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kurdistan, housed within the Faculty of Basic Sciences, is an active center for education and research, comprising 23 faculty members, 257 undergraduate students in both Pure and Applied Chemistry, 102 master's students, and 74 doctoral students across all specializations.