From Developing a Higher Education System to Moving toward a Knowledge-Based Economy: A Short History of Three Decades of STI Policy in Iran

Abstract

A cursory look at the history of science and technology development in Iran shows that policy making for scientific development, research, technology, and innovation appears to be a modern phenomenon in the society. Such a review indicates that a robust plan for development of the science and technological system, in the form in which it exists in the West, did not evolve in Iran until about one hundred years ago. However, starting with establishment of diplomatic relationships between Iran and the West during the Qajar dynasty (1785–1925), cultural exchanges between Iran and the West began. As a result, many Western models of education and cultural values found their way to Iran, and Iranian government officials gradually adopted these Western models. Adoption of the Western models gradually lead to the modern-day educational-policy planning system and eventually played an important role in the evolution of the national system of innovation in Iran.KeywordsGross Domestic ProductScience PolicyHigh Education SystemCultural RevolutionTechnology PolicyThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.