Initial work to establish the International Center for Persian Language Teaching (AZFA Center) at Shahid Beheshti University’ faculty of Letters and Humanities (Department of Persian Literature) began in early 2011 and the Center’s chart was approved by the university back then. The Center was officially launched in the September of 2015, after the 82^nd Persian Language and Literature courses were held in collaboration with Sa’adi Foundation. The Center admits applicants who wish to learn Persian from around the world and trains them in six to nine months. The courses include reading, listening, oral reproduction, and grammar and writing skills. In the complementary courses Persian for specific purposes is taught according to the language learners’ interests or field of study, in addition to the aforementioned language skills in the advanced level.

Upon the completion of the course, the language learners can participate in one or more specialized courses such as Introduction to Daily Persian Terms, Newspaper Reading, Cinema, History, Literature, Iranology, Translation, Professional Writing, and Iranian Arts. In addition, the Center hosts a series of workshops on Iranian culture in each semester.

Workshops and conferences in the form of short and long term teacher training courses are held at the AZFA Center to equip the teachers with the latest language teaching developments. Attending the specialized committees for ​​curriculum and educational content development can not only better prepare the teachers at the Center to teach more effectively but also help them to identify and address resource problems in some areas, especially Persian for specific purposes and grammar books.

AZFA provides an opportunity for Persian learners to learn the language in a short time in order to achieve their career goals and pursue their studies in Iran. At the end of each course, students receive an international certificate approved by the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.

AZFA courses are suitable for all people from all around the world. The teachers working in this Center are highly educated and well-versed in the Persian language, they also use the latest teaching methods to back up their teaching. The classes at the Center are equipped with audio and visual facilities and are connected to the Internet. Students stay at Shahid Beheshti University dormitories.