About Nosrat
Early life and Family
Nosrat was born to Farkhondeh and Asghar Sarikhani. His father was a forward-thinking businessman and entrepreneur. He was the youngest of eight siblings and was creative and had an engineering mind since early ages.
In 1965, Sarikhani married Farah Kayvanjah. Together they have three daughters, Anahita, Pantea and Mandana and four grand children, Parmisse, Behdad, Ava Iran and Lucian Nosrat Kai. Anahita resides in US, and works as a surgical nurse. Pantea is a translator, and mother of two. Mandana resides in Denmark and is an assistant professor at Technical university of Denmark in Civil Engineering department. Besides his close family, he had close relation with all his siblings and his nieces and nephews. He was fluent in German, English and Farsi and was rigorous and meticulous not only in his academic work but also in all aspects of his personal life.
Background and Professional life
After finishing high school, he followed his passion for nature by joining Forests and Rangelands Organization. His first organizational position was the head of the Department of Utilization and Forestry in Khorasan Forestry. He worked thereafter closely with Prof. Dr. Hanns Gläser who supported and motivated him to pursue forest sciences and became a father figure to him. During his academic and scientific life, Sarikhani has contributed greatly to management and correct utilization and preservation of natural resources and forests in North Iran and has trained vast number of students. In 1959, he was funded by the Iranian government at the time and then FAO to pursue his academic studies in forest sciences at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany. In 1964, Sarikhani completed his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He was then awarded a scholarship by FOA to pursue his doctorate studies at the same university on the topic of forestry and forest utilization with focus on forest road network, which he completed in 1967.
The forest department in the heart of the Faculty of Agriculture was established by Prof. Dr. Hanns Gläser along with several international experts, supported by World Food Organization (FAO), which later became the Faculty of Forestry and then the Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran.
Sarikhani was one of the first Iranian professors who established the Forest and Rangeland Institute and thereafter the Faculty of Natural Resources at the University of Tehran, Iran. He was in charge of all forest engineering courses at the Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, until his retirement.
As the first head of the Forest of Education and Research, the University of Tehran in Kheyrud, Nowshahr, Iran, he made outstanding services and achievements in the design and implementation of forestry projects and its establishment.
His teaching and teaching operations in the forest were always appreciated by his students and in this respect he was among the unique professors in his work and expertise. His book, Forest Utilization, has been widely used and republished and has won the award for the Best Academic book of the year 1992 in field of Agricultural science and Natural Resources.
Among the initiators and as the first head of the scientific-research forest, despite minimum support at the time, he worked towards realization of the Kheyrud Educational and Research Forest, located in Kheyrud Kenar, by resorting to any possible and effective help and measures. He believed that such an institution is necessary for educating the future generations for sustainable utilization and preservation of this natural resource in a national level and global outreach. He moved to US in 1984 and spent several academic years at NC state university, college of natural resources, where he was engaged in design of forest road networks in different projects. He moved back to Iran and only went back to US after retirement.
Specific contributions
Loveh Educational and Research forest
In 1957, in order to create an educational and exemplary forest assisted Prof. Dr. Hanns Gläser for two years in the Loveh forestry project.
Kheyrud Educational and Research forest
Sarikhani was actively in favor of setting up an educational and research forest unit since the beginning of his academic career. As the first head of the scientific-research forest, despite minimum support at the time, he worked towards realization of the Kheyrud educational and research forest, located in Kheyrud Kenar, by resorting to any possible and effective help and measures.
Through World Peace Corps, Sarikhani managed to attract three volunteers as the first personnel of the newly established educational-research forest as one of the early steps in establishment of this forest. A newly graduate engineer from USA Bob Brown, Philip Melan from Switzerland and a Technician from Japan Kagayama volunteered to join his forces to administer and manage the early design and constructions stages.
He later on got financial supports from the Program and Budget Organization of Iran after long negotiations to build a student dormitory, a residential villa for the local forest manager and a repair workshop, and a wood workshop with the infrastructures needed including electricity. Funded by additional funding by FAO, he later added all necessary machines and equipment needed for further research, education and realization of the forest road networks and handling of the wood and resources and restorations. In addition, he three hectares of plain lands were overtaken and added to the educational forest for plantation. In order to revive the local fishery and in relation to the fishery and aquaculture studies at the university he managed to set and dedicate several thousand meters of land adjacent to the Kheyrud River for the construction of fish ponds.
Later on, the design of the forest roads started under the supervision of Dr. Sarikhani with the participation of three volunteer forces and the participation of students who carried out their road construction operations. The work continued through years by number of his assistants, who were now his colleagues in the forestry group, including Dr. Baris Majnonian and a number of his other colleagues.
Prof. Dr. Hanns Gläser and Sarikhani built the first line of routes in 1964 along the Kheyrud River and the western side of the current and existing dormitory. Sarikhani later on redesigned this path to its current form in use by removing and changing the beginning of the route. The implemented design has proved to be robust design considering the initial route was destroyed in a massive.
The first kilometer of the route was built by bare hands and minimum tools and equipment which showcased the importance and vital role it can play for the forest and educational as well as future research purposes. The project got funded later on and continued to Takht-e-Haidar at 320 meter above sea and higher. In a period of 6 years and up till 1974 Sarikhani continued and complemented the construction of the forest roads up till 750 meter above sea. He later on in years after 1979 added Grazben, Namkhaneh, Chalir, Baharban, Mina Sang and Darno to the forest road network in this region.
Awards and other achievements
Forest Utilization, an award-winning book in its academic field in 1992, has been widely used and republished. He also initiated two journal publications in collaboration with Dr. Baris Majnonian, in topics related to forestry and forest roads project.
