Monday, 02 April 2001	14:30 - 16:00	room 28	Parallel	Strategies & Policies
Higher Education in Iran: Policies and Strategies
Alimohammadi, Mahmoud; Payame Noor University; Iran
areas: Universities and Higher Education issues: Developing Countries aspects: national
Enrolments in universities and institutions of higher education in Iran increases significantly every year. The existing educational structure on the other hand has almost stretched to the breaking point. Furthermore, it is clear that the demand for post-secondary qualifications is not going to abate in the near future. It is equally clear that the system of higher education will absorb a lower percentage of the secondary school leavers. Yet, the burden of responding to the demand for higher education is accurately measurered in terms of the costs to the quality of education. It is generally believed that the recent swift expansion of the system has been achieved at considerable expense of quality. It is felt that the quality of instruction will be further diluted unless the present system has the opportunity to launch serious attempts at self-improvement. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on the policies and strategies that have been adopted to cope with these chronic issues. This is done through the classification of Iranian tertiary institutions into three major types: traditional state universities, traditional non-profit universities and distance teaching universities. It is argued that the Iranian universities have succeeded in relieving the pressure of numbers by offering a variety of degree programs both at universities based in major cities and institutions situated in remote towns. What remains to be done is the promotion of the quality of education so that the system would respond to the needs of a nation which is in transition from a static and traditional society to a more socially dynamic and economically fluid one.