Problematizing Iranian university autonomy: a historical-institutional perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article adopts an institutional perspective to elucidate Iranian university autonomy. First, a historical analysis traces statist dominance over academia in Iran by examining archival sources, documents, and scholarly works. Second, a content analysis of expert panels, interviews, and literature categorizes higher education's problems to delineate key issues. Third, a meta-analysis examines the implications for institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Fourth, governmental strategy regarding university autonomy is scrutinized by analyzing policies, laws, and statements. Finally, a reconciliatory strategy is proposed embracing accountability while expanding autonomy. Tracing critical junctures, the analysis outlines the divergence of modern universities from traditional seminaries through state establishment based on Western models, engendering governance effects. The 1851 Dar ol-Fonun constituted an initial modernizing response. The 1934 genesis of Tehran University enacted a seminal rupture with old seminaries. The 1980 Cultural Revolution expanded governmental control to reshape higher education. Consequently, extensive interventions overlaid with centralized bureaucracy have dominated academia. Resultant autonomy constraints stem from structural-administrative deficiencies, financial dependence, attenuated university-society connections, and pervasive formalism. By illuminating the historical shaping forces, this perspective identifies avenues for developing accountability-anchored autonomy through contextualized strategy, providing insights into policy pathways.