Designing a model of policy research for Iranian higher education system

Divergence between scholarship and decision making or policy making, and their application in different social action, is one of the main topics in public policy which has stimulated a lot of debate. Furthermore, this divergence and the subsequent gap it creates between different communities' actors have caused disconnection in the arena of human action and knowledge.  Although this divergence and disconnection can be witness in the global society, nonetheless, the gaps in the developing countries are far deeper. Therefore, this study examines the condition of Iranian policy research in order to design models for creation and development of an institute, which have been referred to as the “missing layer of Iranian higher education’s decision making". Two methodologies were employed in this study. First, documentary and library methods in two domains of literature related to the public policy, particularly research policy and policy research status analysis in Iran, and case studies of experiences that are actually considered as a benchmarking type. By using focus groups, the theoretical research findings and recommended scenarios were validated through experts in two fields of cognitive public policy and higher education. Based on an analysis of current condition of policy research in Iran, and theoretical literature and world life experiences, two models for creation and starting a “National Institute for Policy Research" are presented, and their strengths and weaknesses are also discussed. In these models, on one hand, the interactive processes of the Institute with organizations for creation and promotion of knowledge, in both domestic and international arena, are emphasized; on the other hand, the interactive processes of the Institute with principal users of scholarship, as one of the main users of National Institute for Policy Research products, are stressed. .