The History of Jundi-Shapour (Gondi-Shapour) University

Medical science has been one of the important aspects of the Iranian civilization. The climax point of the history of medicine in ancient Iran is the establishment and development of the Gondi-Shapour (GS) University. GS was a city located in the North of Khouzestan Province between Shooshtar and Shush. In 271 A.D. the city was built by the decree of Sassanian King Shapour І (241- 272), in the memory of the celebration of his victory over Valerian, the Roman Emperor, by using the Roman and Greek prisoners of war.After half a century, King Shapour ІІ (309- 379) chose the city as his capital, creating grounds for further development in all fields. When the Roman Emperor (Zeno) closed down the important scientific centers of the Nestorians in Raha City, he gave shelter to the Nestorians and embraced their physicians into GS. The transference of the Greek heritage into GS by these physicians played an important role in advancement of this science in Iran.In 531 A.D., Khosrow-Anoshirvan (531- 579) acceded to Sassanian throne in Iran. He was an educated man interested in sciences and scientists and intended to make his court more glorious by inviting the learned men of that age. So, he paid a special attention to developing the medical hospital and School of SG. He invited some Greek and Roman physicians to teach and conduct research in SG and dispatched some physicians such as Borzuye to India to learn medical tradition of that land. Also when the Attenian Schools were closed down in the age of Justinian, he welcomed the scientists of these schools. In fact, he established a link between the scientific heritage of the east and west of that time within the format of this university. He also established some well-disciplined regulations to administrate the physicians’ affairs. He created a well-planned organization to test the physicians and grant their academic degrees.In 651 A.D. at the end of the Sassanian dynasty, the GS city was captured by the Arabs and then gradually declined toward the end of the century. The head of the GS hospital, a Christian by the name of Goargis-Bakhtisho was called to Baghdad by the Caliph, Mansour Abbasi (136-158 A.H.) and this resulted in the gradual closure of the hospital to patients.In 1955, after the lapse of twelve centuries, the new GS University was established in Ahvaz city, the capital of Khouzestan Province, where the College of Agriculture had already been created and then the college of medicine was initiated (1956).In 1968, the university hospital of Jundi-Shapour started to teach medical students. In 1986, this university was divided in two branches: Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (AUMS) (having 8 colleges) and Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (having 13 colleges). Both of them share the same university campus. In 2004, the name of AUMS was changed into Ahvaz Jundi-Shapour University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS).