فصلنامه پژوهش و برنامه ریزی در آموزش عالی
سال بیست و یکم شماره 2 (پیاپی 76، تابستان 1394)

The present study was conducted aiming to investigate professional skills and employment status of IT engineering graduates. This research was an applied study and administered through mixed exploratory method. Data were collected via interview and researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population included all faculty members in departments of IT engineering, computers and IT engineering baccalaureate alumni in Isfahan University. The validity of interview questions and the reliability of interview texts were reviewed and confirmed by 4 experts. The reliability of the questionnaires was confirmed by 7 experts and its coefficient was calculated 0.82 through Cronbach alpha method. The findings from the interviews and questionnaires were analyzed through categorization, and One- sample t-test, One- way ANOVA and Multiple Regression, respectively. The results showed that the faculty members viewed the expected professional skills for IT students are the skill of integrating technical and practical knowledge in action, communicating two domains, high analysis and research power, and the skills in team working and group interactions. Moreover, the alumni evaluated the components under study lower than appropriate and there should be some reviews and reforms in this regard. There was no difference between the people's demographic factors and their views toward the components of professional skills and employment status; however, there was a significant difference in people's views concerning employment status. There was a significant difference regarding the components of tendency to continue education. In addition, professional skills and the tendency to continue education were effective in predicting employment status.

The purpose of this descriptive – survey research was to evaluate modular programs in University of Applied Sciences and Technology based on a labor market needs assessment. The statistical population included all students (N=2540) in centers of Zahedan Applied Sciences and Technology University during 2011-12 academic year. Using categorical - random sampling method, 315 students were randomly selected. Data were collected by using a researcher made questionnaire and analyses were performed via inferential statistics. The results indicated that program's goals and implementation of educational programs were based on labor market needs assessment. Nonetheless, there has been no detailed assessment for the development and presentation of program's contents. The results also showed that studying in Applied Sciences and Technology centers have not initiated job promotion and skills advancement.

Assistant Professor Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Management and Business, Tabriz University MSc Student in Economics, Tabriz University, samirasalimi87@yahoo.com Study Type: Original | Subject: economy | Received: 2016/01/16 - Accepted: 2016/01/16 - Published: 2016/01/16 Abstract: (57 View) Education, as one of the concepts of human capital, transfers various capabilities to the labor force and increases productivity and efficiency of the work. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of educational inequalities on the total productivity of production factors in Iran. In this context, the Gini coefficient of education was calculated using the study by Thomas et al. (2001) as an indicator for defining the inequalities of education for 15 year old and older individuals. Then, using time series data over the period of 1970-2011 in Iran and ARDL econometric approach, the degree of educational inequality and its experiential relationship with total productivity of production factors have been tested. Based on the obtained results, there is a significant negative relationship between the educational Gini coefficient and total productivity of production factors in the short term and long term. In other words, decreasing of educational inequalities increases the overall productivity of production factors.

The present research intended to investigate the amount of scientific products of Iranian researchers with non-Iranian organizational affiliations to the best universities in developed and industrial countries throughout the world in Scopus database. The present study was a descriptive survey with a Scientometric approach. The study population consisted of Iranian faculty members of 103 best universities in G8 countries and Australia which were chosen according to ranking system of world universities. The data related to scientific products were extracted from Scopus database. Findings showed that 553 Iranian faculty members in different majors are active in the universities of developed and industrial countries and have published 14211 scientific articles in creditable journals. In this regard, a major portion of scientific production by Iranian faculty members had been published in the United States of America followed by Canada and Britain. In addition, founding showed that the subject of a significant portion of articles and scientific papers had been in the fields of engineering (3874), medicine (1623) and Biochemistry, Genetics and Biology (852). Brain drain from developing countries, particularly our country, to the developed and advanced countries has been started for many years and it is feared that it accelerated more and reach worrisome level. It seems necessary to consider this matter and make policies in this regard, and try to prevent the emigration of professionals and scientists and persuade Iranian faculty members in developed countries to return to our country.

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 communitie's 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.

The purpose of this paper was spatial analysis of higher education development trend in some indictors during 2005-10 (Forth development Plan). Research methodology in this study was descriptive -analytic. By using entropy index and quarters, higher education indicator development trend in 31 provinces was surveyed and scenographyed by utilization of Geographic Information System (GIS). The findings showed that Iranian higher education has grown quantitatively very well during these years But, the analysis of indicator's spatial distribution in Iran's provinces indicated that because of unrealistic determined quantitative goals and ignoring principles of regional planning over 60 % of provinces dont possess balanced distribution and many of the determined indicators in the Plan were only accomplished in privileged provinces or have been close to determined goals. Thus, even though the policy makers emphasize on non-centralized and sectorial planning, the inappropriate distribution of higher education facilities in country's geographical regions, has caused the accomplishment of equity oriented educational policies with serious challenges. Hereupon, it is recommended that higher education planners increasingly pay attention to the spatial analysis and land planning in order to identify inequalities and imbalances.

Developing relations with alumni in order to exploit their potentials and faithful supports by them has been attractive to the policy makers and planners in higher education. Islamic Azad University has also taken steps in this direction by establishing Alumni Associations. In this research, current status of university- alumni relations in Islamic Azad University was investigated by utilizing qualitative method. Statistical population of the study was 865 doctoral students in Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch in Tehran, 65 of whom were selected by using random method and based on theoretical saturation method. Data collection tool was semi-structured interviews and information obtained through interviews were coded and categorized via content analysis. The results showed that the Islamic Azad University situation on this issue is poor and establishing relation and willingness to participate is often one-sided and from alumni. Weaknesses in cooperation with university graduates in three dimensions of environment, context, and human actors were classified.