A Critical Review of The Abilities and Deficiencies of Higher Education System in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Higher education has three major functions: production, transmission, and dissemination of scientific knowledge and research. The Irainian higher education system, which was found on .the bases of "The Law of Establishment of Tehran University" in 1313, Iranian calendar, lacks two of these important functions, namely the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The subsystems of the system, the country's universities, were established on the same pattern as Tehran University. The mam function of these institutions has been transmission of the new scientific knowledge and findings, produced abroad, to the new generations of students one after another.In consequence, the emerging abilities and the points of strength of the system, is all concentrated on the fulfillment of this function, while neglecting major and important deficiencies, due to the lack of attention to the two other functions, the production and the dis􀀥emination of sciectific knowledge. To overcome the current problems and deficiencies of the higher education system of Iran, requires a serious change in the structure and organizational fabric of the system, while keeping in mind that change in structure is usually associated with financial burden and occasional social tension.