Accommodation at University of Mazandaran
What we offer
We provide a variety of accommodation options that will be suitable for you. These options are categorized based on many different variables. They have been grouped by the type of authority they are governed, the gender of the students, the degree of the students, whether or not they have rooms for couples and students with families, and finally, whether they are allocated for international students. Here we will group the accommodation options based on their governing authority. Three of the accommodation types include university-managed dormitories, non-university-managed halls of residence, and private sector housing.
Accommodation facilities
The following accommodations are included in all the university-managed dormitories that will be listed in the following regardless of the individual dormitory. For a more extended list of facilities, you can refer to the contents of each accommodation option.
Your accommodation will include:
· Free parking spaces
· 24-hour security and biometric gates
· bedroom and study furniture
· all bills covered
· Free WIFI each week on dormitory and campus grounds
· communal kitchen and bathroom
· cleaning service for communal areas in dorms
· student insurances
· counseling and medical services
· gym and sports facilities
· shops on dormitory and campus grounds
· short walk to campus
· close to the city center, shops, and cafes
· taxi and bus station nearby
Dormitory security
The dormitories of University of Mazandaran have a relatively high level of security. The security of these dormitories is provided by guards and wardens, biometric gates, and CCTV cameras installed in the dormitory environment. Guards at the entrance of the dormitories monitor the entry and exit of students and also patrol the dormitory territory to be the first to help students in case any problems arise. Furthermore, students’ entry and exit are controlled by biometric gates that use students’ fingerprints. Finally, CCTV cameras are used at the entrance door of the dormitories and in other important parts of the dormitory area to increase the security of students.
Nutrition at University of Mazandaran
Having a healthy and nutritious diet is very useful in achieving your daily goals. In other words, what you have in your diet plays a big role in your performance. That is why a big portion of our effort at the University of Mazandaran goes into us being able to serve our students the highest quality food in the healthiest diet possible. However, while you can reserve your food at the university self-service, there are other ways to plan your diet as well. Methods such as preparing your own food, having your meals at the city restaurants, and having your food delivered are ways you can have meals other than having them at the university canteen.
University of Mazandaran has excellent facilities for feeding its students. The Department of Nutrition, as one of the most important departments of the University’s Students’ Affairs Office, is responsible for the canteens and catering. On the campus of the university and the dormitories, the places where you can have your meals are divided into two types university canteens and retailers.
Initially, University of Mazandaran had two active canteens, one of which was in the central organization and the other in the dormitory complex of Shahid Navvab Safavi. At the time, these canteens offered limited services to the students and the university staff at the university. However, with the increase in the number of students in the coming years, the bigger canteen at the university’s new campus was established. Also, in 2016, the canteen of Emam Hossein dormitory and in April 2019, the canteen of Hazrat Zeinab Dormitory was put into operation. To sum it up, we currently have 5 canteens at University of Mazandaran; one of which is located at the central organization, the other at the university campus, and the other three canteens at the student dormitories.
Cooking and serving students, was initially traditional, but gradually this process moved towards mechanization. One of the most improvements we’ve had in the recent two decades is that we’ve been using the online food reservation system. This means that the students need to reserve their meals each week to reduce food waste to the absolute minimum.
Meals at the canteens of University of Mazandaran are of good quality. The reasons behind the quality of food are that fresh and healthy ingredients such as meats, high-quality Iranian rice, and other ingredients are used for cooking the meals at the university canteens. In addition to the quality of each meal, officials at the Department of Nutrition have also paid special attention to the diversity and standards of the diet of students. So much so that that 2 types of breakfast, lunch, and dinner are distributed along with the meal. This means that students can choose either of the two kinds of foods offered at each meal. Also, the canteen diet has been planned through extensive studies with the help of the nutrition experts of the province’s University of Medical Sciences. In other words, this diet plan is prepared and distributed based on balanced nutrition and scientific parameters while having the needs of a student’s body in mind. Some of the most popular dishes at the university self-service include vegetable pilaf with salmon, walnut stew with meat and rice, and Gheimeh with fried potatoes and rice.
To have your meals at the canteen of the university, students must have their daily food reserved at the automation system of the canteen two days in advance. Students normally at each weekend reserve their next week’s meals at this system. This automation system was created to provide accurate statistics on the number of meals that the nutrition department must prepare each week. That way, the nutrition department also has accurate information about how much ingredient is needed and avoids waste. To reserve food, you can go to the website http://self.vcs.umz.ac.ir/ and after logging in to your account, reserve your weekly food. Your username is your student number and your password is your national id number or password number if you’re an international student. It should be noted that for each meal, you can choose one of the two food options that you like the most. In addition, there are half-sized meal options that you can reserve if you do not have much appetite. The price of these foods is very low and you can usually have each meal for a few thousand tomans. Detailed information about the price of meals is announced annually by the University’s Department of Nutrition. The university’s canteens serve all colleagues and students every week from Saturday to Wednesday, and they also provide students at the dormitories of the university with their meals on Thursdays. But on Fridays, these students must either cook on their own or order their food from the retailers at their dormitory or the restaurants in the city.
In addition to the university canteens, there are retailers on campus and dormitories. These retailers are run by local businesses that are under contract with the university. Some students may not be able to reserve their meals at the university canteen or they may not like the food on the diet. That’s why the retailers on campus can be the next option for them. On the menu of these retailers, you can see a variety of snacks and sandwiches and even foods such as bean soup and pasta. All items on these buffets are inspected by the University’s Department of Nutrition to ensure they are fresh and healthy.
Internet network coverage
On-campus and university-managed dormitories
You can access free internet at all hours of the day on campus and in university-managed dormitories at University of Mazandaran. When connected to the Wi-Fi of the university You will be forwarded to a page where you will need to enter your username and password to get access to the internet. Your username is your student number and your password is your national id number or passport. The internet traffic allocated for you varies depending on your degree of study. Internet traffic for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students is 2, 3, and 4 GB per week. University of Mazandaran Wi-Fi internet has a reasonably fast speed and you can use it to do your daily online tasks without any problems.
In self-governing dormitories and rented houses
Students staying in self-governing dormitories or rented housing do not have access to the university’s Wi-Fi network at their place of residence. However, the Internet can be on the list of the facilities that these dormitories offer. It is worth mentioning that even if you do not have access to university internet in these dormitories, the traffic allocated for you is still available. To use this Internet, you just need to connect to the Wi-Fi network in environments such as the campus or the central organization of University of Mazandaran.
Accommodation options
University of Mazandaran can accommodate up to roughly 3700 students out of a total of approximately 13000 students in its three university-managed dormitories and 12 self-governing dormitories. 2623 students are housed in government dormitories. Of this number, 1455 female students live in the dormitory of Hazrat Zeinab, 750 male students in the dormitory of Emam Hossein dormitory and 418 postgraduate students live in the dormitory of Shahid Navvab Safavi. Also, 22 licensed self-governing dormitories are cooperating with University of Mazandaran to accommodate female students. Each of these self-governing dormitories has a capacity of 20 to 300 students which adds their total capacity to approximately 1100 students. In addition to university-managed dormitories and self-governing dormitories, many students stay in rented housing in Babolsar or surrounding cities and commute to the university. In the following, you can get more detailed information about each of the three accommodation options government dormitories, self-governing dormitories, and renting houses in the private sector.
A) University-managed dormitories
1. Shahid Navab Safavi Dormitory
University of Mazandaran initially had only one student dormitory, which is without a doubt one of the most beautiful dormitories in the country to this date. This is due to its location along the Caspian Sea coast with more than 1000 meters of coastline. This recreational complex, which was established in 1969 under the name of “Nokhost Vazeeri”, was not first a dormitory of University of Mazandaran. Later in 1369, its name was changed to “Shahid Navab Safavi” and it became the very first dormitory of University of Mazandaran. The complex is currently used to house around 350 male postgraduate national and international students.
Due to it being built more than 50 years ago, this complex has been renovated and equipped with brand new facilities many times during the following years upon its establishment. These renovations were even pursued more by the university in recent years, so much so that it can be claimed that 100% of the facilities, interior, and equipment of this dormitory have been replaced or renovated. For example, in June 2016, all the toilets, kitchens, and corridors of blocks 3 and 4, which are the blocks used by the international students, were completely destroyed and rebuilt. Measures taken to renovate these blocks include waterproofing, plumbing, electrical work, ceramic tile installation, PVC installation, painting, cabinet installation, and many other small and large tasks. These renovations have increased the quality of the living environment for the students of this dormitory.
Location and security
Shahid Navab Safavi dormitory is located in the Beheshti neighborhood of Babolsar in Amir Mazandarani Street, Vali Asr Street, 26th. This dormitory is 4.5 km away from the central organization of University of Mazandaran and 4 km away from the campus of University of Mazandaran. Transportation between the campus and the dormitory is provided by the university bus service, city taxis, and online taxi-hailing services such as Snap, Tapsi and Maxim.
The dormitory is guarded by security guards, biometric gates, and CCTV cameras at the entrance and other parts of the dormitory. Therefore, students have very good security in this dormitory.
Pleasant and green space of the dormitory
It is noteworthy that this complex has a very beautiful and pleasant yard, which is a quiet and lively place for the residents. This dormitory is located on land with an area of 11 hectares and more than 1000 meters of the Caspian Sea coastline. In the area of this dormitory, a large number of trees and even fruit trees and a variety of flowers have been cultivated. The maintenance team of this dormitory uses all their power to maintain this environment. Recently, dormitory gardens and greenhouses have been opened and they will be used to propagate and grow decorative flowers and trees needed in the dormitories and the campus. On the beach of this dormitory, many canopies and a well-equipped beach park have been built so that students and guests of this dormitory can benefit from these facilities.
Blocks and rooms
In the environment of the Shahid Navvab Safavi dormitory, there are 8 student blocks for accommodating single graduate students, which accommodate a total of 350 students. In addition, there are 6 villas to host colleagues and faculty members and a block for temporary accommodation of.
8 blocks for single students are two-floored and on each floor, there are two corridors on the right and left of the block and there are 4 rooms in each corridor. In other words, each of these blocks has 16 rooms and there are facilities to host 4 students in each room. Each of the rooms has facilities such as two bunk beds, a shared closet with enough space for each student, a desk with two chairs, a refrigerator, a radiator, and an air conditioner for controlling the room’s temperature. The kitchen and bathroom of these rooms are shared and have been recently renovated.
There is a difference in the number of kitchens and bathrooms between these blocks. In blocks 1 to 3, the number of kitchens and bathrooms is 8. In contrast, the kitchens and bathrooms of blocks 4 to 8 reach the number 4. Also, due to the fact that Babolsar’s tap water is not drinkable, water purifiers are also installed in the kitchens of this dormitory.
Other accommodation facilities
Other facilities for students living in the Shahid Navvab Safavi dormitory include the following:
· Standard beach soccer field
· 2 standard beach tennis courts
· 2 standard beach volleyball courts with fencing
· Standard football pitch
· Indoor futsal and volleyball hall
· Advanced gym
· Reading room
· TV lounge
· Prayer room
· Self-service
· Student buffet
· Amphitheater
· High-speed wireless internet network in blocks
2. Hazrat-e Zeynab Dormitory
Hazrat Zeinab Dormitory Complex has 6 blocks with a total capacity of 1455 people to accommodate single female students with undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. International female students are also housed in this dormitory. The 6 blocks of this complex, along with other buildings, are located on land with an approximate area of 5.4 hectares. The first two blocks of this dormitory were built in 1992 and 1993 to accommodate the increasing number of students admitted to University of Mazandaran. Then 6 more blocks were added to this complex between 1374 and 1395, which increased the total number of blocks to 8 and the total capacity of the complex to about 2200 students. Then in September 2016, two blocks of Hazrat Zeinab dormitory were separated from this dormitory and used as an independent dormitory called Imam Hussein dormitory to accommodate male undergraduate students. At the moment, the capacity of the Hazrat-e-Zeinab dormitory can accommodate up to 1455 students in its 6 blocks.
Location and security
This dormitory is located in front of the first entrance door of the university campus. This means that the campus is just a few steps away from the. Apart from that, there is a bus station right next to the dormitory where students can get on the university buses and get to the more faraway faculties on the campus. There are also city taxis right outside the dormitory that take the students to the city center.
It is also worth mentioning that this dormitory, is very close to the Caspian Sea coast and is only 500 meters away from it. This means that in order to reach the beach, it is enough to walk for a few minutes. This also makes it possible to have a view of the Caspian Sea right from your room depending on which side of the block the room is located.
The security of this dormitory is very important for the university. For this reason, this dormitory has been built as close as possible to the university campus so those female students can have more security. In addition, students entering and leaving the dormitory are controlled by biometric traffic control gates. Also, the university guards keep watch at the entrance of this complex at all hours. Our guards and colleagues in the supervisory office of the dormitory are also in the service of resident students during office hours and full-time hours. Also, on the ground floor of blocks 5 and 6 is a suite for night shift supervisors to meet students and address potential problems. In addition, CCTV cameras at the entrance door and in the dormitory area provide additional security for this complex.
Pleasant and green space of the dormitory
This complex has a wonderful green space and all kinds of trees and flowers have been planted in its yard. Among these trees, there are fruit trees that students can enjoy when they bear fruit. Fruit trees such as oranges, berries, etc. are planted in the yard of this dormitory. To maintain these trees and other seedlings, drip piping is used to implement green management plans.
Blocks and rooms
As we explained earlier, this dormitory consists of 6 blocks. Blocks 1 to 4 are three floors and the capacity of their rooms is 4 and 8 students. In addition, there are 20-bed halls for student students and temporary accommodation in these blocks. The cooling system of the rooms of these blocks is a fan and its halls are equipped with air conditioners. Also, the heating system of rooms and halls is also a radiator. Also, each of these blocks has a kitchen and a public toilet on each floor and a study hall on the third floor. Blocks 5 and 6 of this dormitory have four floors and their rooms are designed to accommodate 4 to 6 students. The postgraduate students live in this block. The cooling system of these blocks is an air conditioner for rooms and halls and its heating system is the radiator. On each floor of these two blocks are kitchens and public toilets. There are also two study halls in block 5 and one study hall in block 6.
On each floor of the blocks of this dormitory, there is a kitchen and a bathroom with good and complete facilities. For example, for the lighting system of these parts and corridors, motion sensors are used to save energy. Also, the kitchens of this complex have been completely renovated recently. Renovated parts of the kitchens of this dormitory include the installation of ventilation, sink, cabinet stone, painting of the ceiling, doors, and walls of the kitchens, and finally the installation of aluminum sheets under the kitchen doors. Also in these kitchens, a semi-industrial water purifier has been installed so that students can benefit from safe drinking water. In addition to the bathroom and toilet inside the building, two bathrooms, each with 13 showers, are located in the area between the blocks.
Other accommodation facilities
In addition to the facilities mentioned, this dormitory has the following facilities:
· Two computer centers: one in block two and the other in block 5
· Counseling room in block 4 to facilitate students’ referral to experienced counselors regarding academics, morals, family counseling, etc.
· Indoor gym with an area of 1200 square meters with new sports equipment
· Health station in the area between the blocks
· Prayer room
· Newly built multi-purpose dining inductor
· Retailer
· Women’s taxi
· Beauty salon
· Laundry and dry cleaning
· Art school room for art school students
· High-speed wireless internet network
3. Imam Hossein Dormitory
Established in 2016, the Imam Hossein dormitory complex, has a capacity of approximately 750 hosts the university’s undergraduate male students. The two blocks of this complex were initially part of the Hazrat-e-Zeinab dormitory complex, but due to the increase in student admission at University of Mazandaran, they were used to form the Imam Hossein dormitory complex. It is noteworthy that the two blocks and other buildings of this complex are located on land with an approximate area of 5.7 hectares.
Location and Security
This dormitory is located on the west side of the dormitory of Hazrat Zeinab and is located 1.2 km from the first entrance of the university campus. The way to reach this dormitory is through the road that is located north of the first entrance of the university and between the entrance of Hazrat Zeinab dormitory and the fire department. Students can take campus buses to and from the campus. These buses run periodically and every hour and a half. In addition, students can either walk to campus or use online hailing services or call the local taxis.
Due to the very short distance from the beach, students living in this dormitory can walk to the Caspian Sea coast in a few minutes. In addition, the residents of this dormitory can have a view of the Caspian Sea from their window and terrace depending on the location of their room.
The security of this dormitory, like other university dormitories, is provided by guards, biometric gates, and CCTV cameras. The guards are present at the entrance door of the dormitory full time and ensure that only students living in the dormitory and university officials enter the dormitory. The biometric gates that have just been installed at this entrance are also a great help in increasing the speed and security of the students of this dormitory. In addition, CCTV cameras have been installed at the entrance door and in different parts of the dormitory to ensure the security of this complex as much as possible.
The dormitory supervision room is located on the ground floor of block 1 of this complex, and the staff of this dormitory manages the dormitory programs and takes care of the students’ issues.
Blocks and Rooms
As we move forward in the area, we can see two blocks of this complex. Blocks 1 and 2 have four floors and their rooms have six beds in them. The rooms of these blocks have three bunk beds, a table with two chairs, a wardrobe, a refrigerator, and a balcony. As mentioned, depending on the location of your room, you may be able to have a view of the Caspian Sea from your window and balcony. The corridor of these blocks is located in the middle of them and each block is divided into two parts: east and west. On each floor of these blocks are kitchens and public toilets. However, there is a difference between the number of kitchens in the two blocks. On the first block on each floor is a large kitchen in the middle of the hallway. Meanwhile, in the second block of this complex, there are two smaller kitchens on each side of the corridor. In addition, there are differences between the blocks in the number of study rooms. In block 1, there is no study room on the first to fourth floors, but there is a large study room in the attic of this block. In block 2, however, a relatively large study room is located on the ground floor, and in addition, smaller study rooms are located in the middle of each other floor of this block. The prayer hall of this complex is also located on the ground floor of block 2.
Other facilities of this dormitory
In addition to the descriptions of the blocks and rooms, this complex has full and excellent facilities as follows:
· Self-service dining room
· TV lounge next to the dining hall
· 2 football natural grass fields
· 1 artificial football field with a metal fence
· Gym
· Basketball Court
· Ping pong hall
· A standard indoor gym under construction
· High-speed student internet within blocks
4. Sahel Residential Complex
Sahel residential complex is currently intended for married Iranian and international students living with their families. This building, which is located in front of the 5th parking lot on the coastal boulevard of Babolsar, was built on land with an area of 28,676 square meters in 1995.
This complex has 20 blocks with the same architecture, each of which with 5 floors, accommodating a total of 148 residential units. The environment of this complex consists of green space, grasses, and lush trees. Also, this complex is considered a safe place due to having a guard. The residential units of this complex also have very good facilities. The heating system of these units is the central engine room and the boiler, and their cooling system is gas coolers.
This complex is approximately 7 km away from the campus of University of Mazandaran. There is no line bus for this complex, but its residents can use city taxis, online taxis, or telephone taxis to commute to the campus. You can get to the campus in around 10 and 15 minutes by taxi.
Also, the location of this residential complex is very close to the Caspian Sea coastline; Residents of the complex can walk to the beach in just a few minutes.
B) Self-governing dormitories
Just like most university cities, University of Mazandaran has student accommodation available through privately provided Halls of Residence. Considering the approximate number of 13,000 students studying at University of Mazandaran, the capacity of 2623 government dormitories is not enough to accommodate students who want to have dormitories. For this reason, the self-governing and private dormitories in Babolsar operate under the supervision of University of Mazandaran. There are 22 self-governing dormitories that can accommodate up to 1,100 female students and greatly contribute to the capacity of university dormitories. Of course, it should be noted that these dormitories are intended only for Iranian female students and international female students are accommodated in the Hazrat-e-Zeinab dormitory.
Self-governing dormitories have excellent facilities for their student residents. These dormitories are usually located close to the university campus. Also, these dormitories have a good yard and green space. Facilities inside the dormitory include student rooms with a bed and desk, a living room with furniture and a TV, and kitchens and public toilets. Students living in these dormitories can provide their daily meals in various ways. Ordering food at the university self-service, ordering food from nearby restaurants, and cooking food in the dormitory kitchen are three ways to prepare these students’ daily meals. These dormitories use heating systems such as heaters and radiators, and cooling systems such as fans and air conditioners. Also, most self-governing dormitories have Wi-Fi internet in their environment.
These dormitories are under the supervision and coverage of University of Mazandaran, and for this reason, the students who live in these places have special facilities. First, the cost of renting these dormitories for students, although higher than government dormitories, is cheaper than renting private housing. In addition, students in these dormitories can enjoy the services of University of Mazandaran, like the Health Network to monitor their health and send an ambulance at the time of an accident. Finally, the university’s student affairs management takes care of the problems and affairs of the students who live in these dormitories as well.
C) Private sector housing
You may also choose to live in a shared house with friends, managed by a landlord or a letting agent, where you may sign a ‘joint and several liability’ tenancy agreements. This means you are all jointly and individually responsible for the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement.
There are also a number of resident landlords who offer accommodation in their family homes with no formal tenancy agreement. You would source this option yourself directly with the landlord or via letting agents. Any private landlords registered with the University are able to advertise their properties on a dedicated website after providing evidence that their properties are licensed by University of Mazandaran and meet all statutory requirements, such as gas and electrical safety standards.
