امیر علم بیگی

Faculties of agriculture and natural resources, as drivers of development, play a vital role in responding to social and environmental challenges. However, the existing literature on the governance of social responsibility in these institutions often lacks a systemic and causal analysis of the relationships among key drivers. This research, with the aim of designing a causal architecture for the governance of social responsibility in the context of Iranian agricultural higher education, identifies and analyzes the structural relationships among 44 key drivers. In this regard, the Fuzzy DEMATEL method was used to model the relationships. The expert panel included 27 faculty members from the University of Tehran with over 10 years of experience, who were selected purposefully. The results showed that structural and managerial dimension factors, such as "leadership commitment" and "formal strategic document", act as root drivers and fundamental causes, having a direct influence on other dimensions. In contrast, components such as "green university development," "farmer empowerment," and "problem-oriented research" were identified as final outcomes and effects. These findings indicate that tangible social responsibility results are a direct product of managerial and institutional infrastructures. The present study, by providing a causal architecture model, creates new insight into the knowledge of social responsibility governance in academia and suggests that to achieve sustainable transformation, the focus should shift from ad-hoc actions towards structural reforms and fundamental policymaking. This model provides a practical and evidence-based guide for formulating social responsibility strategies in the agricultural higher education system.

Although there are proven and successful developments in higher education for sustainable development, many challenges remain. Among these challenges is the need for higher education institutions to improve the integration of sustainability into curricula, training, and research holistically. In this regard, the present study aimed to explore the challenges and limitations of integrating sustainability issues into higher education in Iranian faculties of agriculture and natural resources. The qualitative research method was thematic analysis, purposive sampling technique, and data collection method, a structured interview with sustainability professor experts, conducted until the topic was saturated and then analyzed using Maxqdawin20 software. Four criteria were used to evaluate the research findings Accreditation, Transferability, Replicability, and Verifiability. The results of the data analysis in the coding process led to the identification of 137 open codes, which were finally categorized in terms of 24 central themes and under three overarching themes, including cognitive, cultural, and structural challenges. According to the results of the study, most of the challenges for the faculties of agriculture and natural resources lie in the integration of sustainability in the structural dimension. Finally, based on the research findings, practical approaches are presented that can be used by policymakers, educational planners, and faculty members in curriculum and academic planning.

In various societies, including Iran, the increasing demand for food due to current population growth trends necessitates improvements in the food supply chain, starting at the farm level. Recent challenges, such as drought in food production systems linked to climate change, emphasize the need to enhance the resilience of farming units. This enhancement holds the promise of fortifying food security for farming households and brings advantages to other sectors within the society or contributes to national food security. Maintaining the hypothetical connection between the resilience of small farms and the food security of their households, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the food security of small-scale farming households in Hamedan province, placing a particular emphasis on the role of resilience. The research targeted active farmer households operating on small-scale farming units (below 10 hectares), with a sample size of 300 individuals determined using Cochran's formula. Cluster sampling was employed in two stages, and farmers were surveyed through researcher-designed questionnaires. The validity of the main research tool was confirmed by a panel of agricultural development experts and faculty members from Tehran University. Reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. Data analysis was conducted using SMART PLS3 and SPSSwin25 software, revealing that food security was most significantly impacted by social participation, use of new technologies, and resilience of farming units. Based on these findings, adopting agroecological methods such as mixed farming, mulching, and socio-economic empowerment of farming families are recommended to enhance resilience and fortify food security

Climate change is considered one of the main and important threats to the environmental, economic and social. Climate change has been occurring all over the world without taking necessary measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and in recent years has left disastrous effects in many countries. The increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to the development of industry and increased use of fossil fuels and changes in land use in the last few decades has caused a constant eating of climate variables especially global warming. The negative consequences of this phenomenon for mankind can be destructive to the extent that among the ten threatening factors for mankind in the 21st century, the climate change phenomenon has taken the first place.This study aims to investigate the extreme temperature and precipitation changes using the Statistical Downscaling Model to downscale the output of the MPI-ESM1-2-HR model from the GCM report under three scenarios SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 for the next three periods of the near future, the average future and the far future in the Todeshk watershed in Isfahan.                                    

In this study, to evaluate the performance of the general circulation model of MPI-ESM1-2-HR in the downscaling of maximum and minimum temperature parameters and precipitation of the Naein synoptic station in Isfahan province during 1989-2014 were used as the base period. In this model, data from 1989 to 2006 were used as the calibration and data of 2007 to 2014 were used as model validation. First, using linear regression test in SPSS software, among 26 variables of ECMWF historical data, variables that had the highest correlation with dependent variables were extracted as independent variables. Also in order to evaluate the performance of the model, goodness of fit correlation coefficient, root mean square error, nash-sutcliffe, kling gupta efficiency and taylor diagrams were used.

The results of the goodness of fit coefficient R, RMSE, NSE and KGE in the calibration and validation of the MPI-ESM1-2-HR model with the SDSM downscaling model to estimate the precipitation variables, maximum temperature and the minimum temperature of the Naein synoptic station were 0.97, 0.42, 0.96 and 0.87 respectively, which implies the high performance and accuracy of the model in modeling of climatic variables. The results showed that the output of the MPI-ESM1-2-HR model and the SDSM statistical model have high and medium performance for downscaling of maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation variable in the Naein synoptic station, respectively, and the high and average conformity between the scenario of the maximum and minimum values of the maximum and minimum temperature and the precipitation variable under scenarios SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 for the time periods 2015-2042, 2043-2070 and 2071-2100. The results also showed that in the MPI-ESM1-2-HR model, the average monthly precipitation amounts in the time periods 2015-2042, 2043-2070 and 2071-2100 have been reduced to 0.21, 0.22 and 0.24 mm, respectively, and the average maximum temperature values were 1.49, 1.5 and 1.52 oC and the mean temperature of minimum temperature will increase 0.51, 0.53 and 0.54 oC under scenarios SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 respectively.

Since the current conditions of the world show the spread of climate change in all countries and in all continents and risks of sustainable development, international community needs to move toward environmentally compatible environments, use of clean and non-renewable energy and implementation of international standards for sustainable development including reduction of greenhouse gases. Therefore, it seems reasonable that among the scenarios evaluated in this research, the average scenario SSP2-4.5 is considered as a decision criterion for planning in order to propose a solution to deal with climate change in policy agenda of policy makers and planners.

Today, mangroves around the world have faced many risks under the influence of local economic pressures, biophysical stimuli, and socio-ecological systems, and the identification and prioritization of these pressures and threatening factors is of great importance. Therefore, in the present study, to identify threatening drivers in different habitats of this region, we evaluated the threatening factors in the framework of the DPSIR conceptual model, including the driving force (D), pressure (P), situation (S), effect (I), and response (R). Threatening drivers in different habitats were also compared and prioritized. As the results showed, 16 threatening drivers of human and environmental origin were identified in these habitats, in this regard, 90 threatening factors have led to the occurrence of environmental hazards in the region. Among these factors, 37 with a score above 70% were observed among the different habitats. In addition, the most threatening drivers and pressures affecting Iran's mangrove forests were related to the habitat of Qeshm-Khorkhoran Island, and the least pressures and threats were related to the habitat of the city. In addition, among the threats identified in the region, inappropriate rainfall regimes (lack of rainfall) can be seen as the most important environmental threat factor among different habitats. The obtained results indicate that some habitats such as Qeshm-Khorkhoran, Mardo Island, Pol, and Kolghan, which are affected by several threatening factors and environmental pressures, should be prioritized for management and planning activities. Controlling these threats requires integrated planning and management at the regional level.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem within universities is crucial for entrepreneurial activities as it not only acts as a lubricant to accelerate the commercialization of knowledge but also provides a framework for maintaining sustainable development in university entrepreneurship and contributes to its dynamism. This research aims to investigate the importance of networking within the university entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our perspective is applied, focusing on identifying and analyzing the relationships between educational groups and other related educational groups/organizations, both intra-group and inter-group, as well as external to the university, to facilitate the transition from idea to market. In this context, eight expert faculty members with technology or innovation ownership or relevant experience (key academic informants) were selected based on their expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation. The research tools included a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews. The interviews were designed around six main axes covering topics such as communication networks, challenges in technology commercialization, and intra-group and inter-group transactions. The analysis of the social networks of educational groups, using UCINET software, led to the examination of the primary communication networks within educational groups to achieve technology/innovation. According to the findings from the network analysis, the structure of the university entrepreneurial ecosystem follows a distinctive relational pattern, where key network indicators highlight the vital roles of specific educational groups and intermediary institutions. At the institutional level, the Entrepreneurship Faculty and the Science and Technology Park have effectively acted as knowledge brokers, creating a significant bridge between academic actors and market sectors. From the perspective of internal cohesion, network density indicates the existence of strong collaborative infrastructures within the ecosystem, although this indicator simultaneously reveals a structural challenge due to weak connections with the fields of humanities (especially economics and agricultural promotion). Therefore, the effectiveness of this ecosystem is based on a triangular synergy: specialized academic cores as engines for technology production, interdisciplinary collaborations as lubricants for developing integrated solutions, and institutional-industrial support (including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Science and Technology Park, and the Iranian Plant Pathology Society) facilitating the transition from laboratory to market, enabling the sustainable transformation of innovative ideas into commercialized products in the agricultural sector.

Water policy statements and related legislations are key pillars of water governance showing an economy roadmap and perspective of water resources. Accordingly, the mentioned documents are key to develop action plans in all operational levels of natural resource management.This article aims to investigates status of water governance and related institutions at local level in Iran.

Using a qualitative research method and purposeful selection of water policy statements, it applies step-by-step procedure of content analysis consist of open coding, categorization and final theme.

The results revealed that performance and productivity has the highest rate considering frequency of topics. Trust and participation showed a minimum importance in analyzed documents. The results also showed low levels of participation, trust, transparency and accountability in governance framework.

In contrast to previous studies, the research investigates the institutional concepts at grassroots specifically water users and stakeholders through an innovative framework. It focused on soft and non-structural dimensions of water management at watershed level as an effective framework to governance.

Knowledge-based companies are one of the most important strategies for the countries’ growth and development, and they can be considered as the source of employment and entrepreneurship facilitator in the knowledge-based economy. Fortunately, in recent years, the focus on the creation and development of these companies has been increased in various economic sectors, and effective measures have been taken in this regard. However, despite the importance of the agricultural sector in the growth and development of the country, not only the number of agricultural knowledge-based companies is not acceptable and there is a big gap with other economic sectors, but also not many studies have been done in this regard (Jamshidnezhad et al., 2022). This shows the necessity of paying special attention to the knowledge-based companies of this sector and analyzing their situation so that the quantitative and qualitative development of agricultural knowledge-based companies can be provided. Since, based on the literature review and experts’ opinion, three categories of individual, organizational and environmental factors are known to be effective on the performance of knowledge-based companies, in the present study, the importance-performance matrix of the aforementioned factors on the agricultural knowledge-based companies of Iran was analyzed. The statistical population of the research included all knowledge-based companies active in the field of agriculture, 124 of them were selected as a sample using Daniell 's method and finite population correction (FPC) method, and information was collected in an accessible manner. Based on the results, among the individual factors: the ability to set goals and having a vision, decisions making ability, analyzing ability and pragmatism spirit of knowledge-based companies’experts, and among organizational factors: faculty members Cooperation and participation, knowledge-based companies’ initial capital and liquidity and the industry and university close relationship indicators, despite their high importance, are located in a critical area and therefore should be given special attention.

Tourism is a major part of the global economy which is heavily affected by weather. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the climatic conditions of a region in terms of the physiological comfort of tourists and to determine suitable periods for tourism elements, including planning, implementation and stay of tourists, especially in the hot and dry climates of the south of the country. In this study, we examined the spatial-temporal distribution of tourism comfort climate along the southern coastal regions of Iran in four provinces: Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Sistan and Baluchestan, which are among the major ecotourism destinations. This research is descriptive-analytical in nature, aimed at examining climatic conditions and determining suitable times for tourism along the southern coasts of Iran. According to the results of tourism climate index during the years 1990-2022, the most favorable weather conditions for tourism in the region are in \months of November, December, December, February and March. In addition, the results of the neurotic pressure index showed that the most favorable time for tourism in the southern coasts of Iran can be seen in the months of November and March, and the results of the effective temperature index also indicate that the most suitable The months for tourists to visit this area are November, December, February and March. Therefore, among the studied indicators, the favorable and common months for tourism can be seen in November and March. The results of the present study, considering the climatic conditions of the southern coasts of the country, help decision makers and tourism planners to determine the optimal time for tourism and the presence of visitors in this region by choosing the appropriate climate index. It also improves our understanding of the correlation of the tourism climate index with the time of presence and the number of visitors during different months of the year in the region so that managers can make more informed decisions and plan appropriately in order to implement the sustainable development of tourism in this region.

Attention to human capital is an undeniable necessity in order to achieve economic goals. Universities, as responsible institutions for developing and cultivating human capital needed by society, have a significant contribution to the knowledge-based economy. In this regard, universities have faced new and challenging developments that leds a distinct concept called "Entrepreneurial University". Despite the importance of the agricultural sector in the country’s growth and development, no effective action has been taken in the field of Agricultural Entrepreneur University. Therefore, the current research has been taken with the aim of explaining the development mechanisms of entrepreneurial university in Iran's agricultural higher education. A quantitative-qualitative method was used to conduct this research. Statistical population of the study included all agricultural faculty members of Iran universities, 206 of them were selected using the Daniel's method in an accessible manner to collect the required data. In order to data collection, semi-structured interviews were used in the qualitative part and researcher-made questionnaires in the quantitative part. The results of entrepreneurial university dimensions’ analysis indicate the importance and role of eight dimensions including: "vision, mission, strategy", "effective management and organizational structure change", "stakeholders participation", "knowledge commercialization", "executive mechanisms", "entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial culture creation", "social and economic challenges" and "technology Requirements", in creating the foundation for development and realization of the agricultural entrepreneurial university

Identifying the details of the role of social support from agricultural academic staff on the job search behavior of agricultural students is a scientific necessity. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social support from academic staff of agricultural higher education institutions on the job search behavior of agricultural students. Fourth-year undergraduate students of all agricultural fields in public universities constituted the statistical population of this study. 384 students from ten universities were selected as the statistical sample of the study using the inverse square root method and two-stage sampling method. After designing and confirming face validity, construct validity (AVE = 0.54-0.79), reliability (θ= 0.79-0.90), and composite reliability (CR<0.88-0.92), the research questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. The dominant statistical method was structural equation modeling. The results showed that social support from agricultural academic staff is effective in improving the job search behavior of agricultural students. The results also showed that psychological capital partially mediates the effect of social support on students' job search behavior. However, according to the results obtained, the supportive role of academic staff of higher education institutions in strengthening students' psychological capital is nonlinear. More social support from academic staff is suggested to improve job search behavior and the psychological capital of agricultural students.

In order to reduce Damask Roses wasting, increase employment and improve the economic status of a large group of villagers in East Azerbaijan province, fundamental need for a deep study with the aim of validating components of Damask Roses processing industries development, as challenges of its processing, structural equations modeling, and analyzing effects among them, is obvious in the province. For this purpose, the components in the form of a Likert spectrum in a researcher-made questionnaire were completed from all the producers of processed products of Damask Roses in the province then after entering the data into the SPSS software and transferring them to the SmartPls software were analyzed. Based on the assessment of fitting measurement and structural model, components had appropriate validity and reliability, as well as the structural model of the research had appropriate predictive power. The results showed that the paradox of some government policy-making, decision-making, and planning as threats of Damask Roses processing industries development and as the management weakness, by aggravating some internal problem of producers, as their weak points, as well as, neutralizing some provincial opportunities of industries development, leads to severe fluctuations in the economic growth of entire Damask Roses industry in the province has faced. The commitment of government before announcement of orders to carry out and fully using comprehensive studies and Land use planning in the province and surrendering trustee and the responsibility of processing industries development to "specialized and Independent of political currents working group in the province, consisting of representatives of industries owners, related organizations and economic beneficiaries", are among this research suggestions.

Due to a very little need of Damask Rose for water and  its large land adaptability as well as its high lands proportionality, and technical knowledge of farmers for its cultivation in East Azerbaijan province of Iran, a basic need for a deep study is necessary to increase employment and improve income of a large group of rural households with the aim of identifying, analyzing and prioritizing business strategies of developing Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in this province. Related research literature review showed that so far, a similar study with TOPSIS method has not analyzed business strategies in developing the Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in the East Azerbaijan province.

For this purpose, after integrating the criteria extracted through Delphi study as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of developing the Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in the East Azerbaijan province, in order to develop marketing strategies based on matrix of Ansoff after confirming its formal validity, by giving a score to compare each of the strategic options in the conditions of those criteria in the form of a Likert spectrum from 1 to 9 in the researcher-made questionnaire, the data were collected from all experts in 2023 and analyzed after confirming its reliability in an entropy method with the TOPSIS technique in Excel software.

The study results showed ambitious marketing and diversification strategies were respectively placed in the first and second ranks in development of business of Damask Rose cultivation; in addition, balanced and bold marketing strategies were respectively selected as the first and second ranks in development of its processing industries, indicating that there would be a conflict in the business development strategies of Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in the province. According to these results, it will not be possible to implement marketing strategies of Damask Rose cultivation development before improving the economic status of its processing industries in the province.

Therefore, the process of Damask Rose cultivation development in the East Azerbaijan province while solving economic problems and putting the first priority for its industries in the provincial financial supports of the government, including providing low-interest banking facilities, reducing income tax and allocating government foreign currency in the import of needed devices, and also in the transition phase from economic crisis of country, do producing new pleasant products in current markets by Damask Rose processing industries of the studied province at the same time. It is also recommended to resolve the concerned conflict in this industry through the assignment of Damask Rose processing industries development to a professional authority in Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad (MAJ) of Iran.

CSA is currently viewed as a sophisticated and dependable approach to advancing agriculture, particularly in regions with limited water resources. This method has experienced a growing adoption and plays a vital role in securing food supplies, boosting employment opportunities, and integrating new technologies into the agricultural domain. Given the expanding utilization of this cultivation method and the necessity for targeted research and hands-on training to facilitate its progress, this study was conducted to explore the internal environmental factors influencing the advancement of this system.

This study employed a quantitative, field-based approach and conducted interviews through a questionnaire tool. The statistical population comprised vegetable and summer crop growers of greenhouses in Tehran and Alborz provinces, totaling 2060 greenhouse units. Sampling was carried out in two stages, with a sample size of 310 units calculated using Daniel’s formula and a five percent error margin. Subsequently, 270 questionnaires were filled out in Tehran Province and 50 in Alborz Province. Following data collection, processing, and analysis were performed using SPSS25 and SmartPLS3 software.

The findings from the inferential analysis indicated that in terms of human capital, essential human requirements for progressing the CSA system are significant. These include factors such as knowledge, skills, positive attitudes, access to financial and technical resources, market knowledge, and strong motivations. The study identified implementing new management techniques, consulting scientific experts, and exchanging knowledge with international professionals as critical factors. Technical capital emerged as the second most influential element in greenhouse development, with access to modern financial software systems and smart management technologies proving crucial. Additionally, training on advanced technologies is essential to enhance productivity and management. Financial capital emerged as the third influential component, with financial challenges and capital requirements for CSA being greater than traditional farming methods, particularly for small-scale farmers. Access to bank credit, affordable inputs, insurance assistance, and financial resources are essential for development and ongoing operational costs. advices include increasing producers' understanding of agricultural economics and markets and facilitating access to appropriate technologies to enhance economic and environmental sustainability. The study also emphasized the importance of productive social capital, highlighting the significance of communication with technical supervisors and agricultural consultants. While support from established farmers to newcomers in the sector was deemed less crucial, the development of social capital was emphasized as vital for the long-term sustainability of this innovative farming approach, as the key connections within this system are still in the process of being established.

Given the novelty of the CSA system, specific attributes must be adhered to by producers and users to enable the effective development and spread of this cultivation method. Enhancing managerial expertise, technical proficiency, and specialized knowledge, as well as increasing producers' awareness and understanding of the local, national, and international market dimensions and characteristics of this system, are essential steps. Additionally, fostering and enhancing intra-group relationships among producers and establishing trade unions for these producers to cultivate social capital is crucial for the advancement and dissemination of this innovative agricultural approach. Attention to these fundamental prerequisites is recommended to support the system’s development.

The current study is conducted to analyze the networks of trust and participation in subsistence funds among the beneficiaries (along with resilience against climate change). To this end, the survey method is used. The statistical population of the present research constitutes of the beneficiaries in five villages located in Tarom County in Zanjan Province. To data analysis, the network analysis is used. The network indices on a large and small scale include density rating, degree centrality, etc. which are extracted for the above-mentioned networks. According to the results of the network analyses, it was found that the density rate in networks of trust and participation in subsistence funds along with resilience against climate change are very low; meanwhile, the human and social capital, as well as the financial and physical capital, have a higher and lower level, respectively. In the end, based on the research findings, some proposals are provided.

Despite much evidence on consumers' behaviors and veterinarians' perspectives against Covid-19, nor have the past inquiries surveyed ranchers and livestock breeders' hygiene behaviors against Covid-19, serving as the main actors in the supply chain of livestock-product. Therefore, this study intends to be notified of the hygiene behaviors of ranchers and sheep farmers to curtail the spread of Covid-19.

Design/Methodology/Approach: 

Using the theory of planned behavior and health belief model, this study contributes to predicting sheep farmers' behaviors in Maragheh County, northwestern Iran (2021-2022). Based on the quantitative paradigm and non-experimental research design, the study benefits from the cross-sectional survey to gather the data of 207 sheep farmers using questionnaire. To analyze the data, linear regression model (LRM), analysis of variance, and univariate GLM were used.

Using the Univariate General Linear Modeling (UGLM), it was found that subjective norms (SNs) ( ) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) ( ) have a significant influence on behavior, further, these factors have different variate values at three levels of production unit type, inclusive of mechanized (n = 27), semi-mechanized (n = 47), and traditional (n = 133), most value of SNs and PBC falls under the category of traditional production units. The interaction of the SNs variable (SNs × Production Unit) with the levels of the production unit is statistically significant (F = 1.87, p < 0.05; ).

Original/Value: 

This study fulfilled the knowledge gap of the factors that contribute to forecasting hygiene behaviors of sheep farmers against Covid-19. The agenda of recommendations would have impacts on health and wellbeing of not just sheep farmers but also public people by promoting the preventive behaviors of ranchers and sheep farmers against the spread of Covid-19.

Exploring the employability literature shows that there is little empirical evidence on the interaction of soft skills, and for this reason, it is important to investigate this issue; Because it can play a significant role in teaching and developing soft skills. In this causal correlational research, the effect of learning and communication soft skills on emotional intelligence soft skills in agricultural students was investigated. Final-year undergraduate students of all agricultural fields in public universities constituted the statistical population of this survey and quantitative research. The statistical sample of the research included 384 people who were selected using the inverse square root method and the multi-stage sampling method. The research tool was a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, whose formal validity was approved by a panel of experts, as well as calculating the factor loading and the discriminant validity and divergent validity and reliability tests through the calculation of ordinal theta and composite reliability. The results of structural equation modeling showed that communication soft skills and learning soft skills have a significant effect in predicting students' emotional intelligence soft skills. This finding clarifies a part of the puzzle of the effect of soft skills on other soft skills of agricultural students. Revealing the mechanism of the effect of communication and learning soft skills on emotional intelligence soft skills, can facilitate the development of soft skills in agricultural higher education because it can provide a rational reason for focusing on a few soft skills.

Dogs are one of the most common invasive species, and due to their large population in the city and the creation of conflicts with humans, the management of this species is associated with problems. Obtaining a correct understanding of the native people's attitude is one of the first steps towards population management.In this study, the attitude of people living in Karaj city towards stray dogs was evaluated using a questionnaire and through face-to-face interviews for a period of three months. A total of 500 questionnaires were collected through simple random sampling. Based on the results obtained from the one-way analysis of variance test, people with different educational levels are completely similar in terms of their attitude towards stray dogs. Also, the results of the independent t-test to investigate the difference in attitude of pet owners and  people who did not have petstowards stray dogs, showed that pet owners have a more positive view towards stray dogs. The results of One Sample T-test showed considering that people believe that the presence of stray dogs reduces their well-being, they are not interested in their presence in the city. Finally, according to the findings of this research, it is recommended to take measures such as increasing information about not feeding stray dogs  in the city environment through mass communication media, communicating with people about the negative effects of dog ecology, for Attracting public support and providing effective management solutions to control their population.

Today, the population of Free ranging dogs (FRDs) is increasing all over the world, which has led to conflict between humans and dogs in urban environments. Understanding people's emotion and attitudes towards FRDs can help to solve this conflict. In recent years, the presence of FRDs has increased in the different cities of Iran, which has led to an increase in bites, fear, disturbing the comfort and health of people. The main aim of the present study is to investigate the factors affecting the feeding behavior to FRDs in Jiroft city by people in Kerman province between 23 September and 22 December 2022. For this purpose, the variable of feeding and no feeding as a dependent variable and other variables such as age, sex, education level, fear, agreeing with the fact that the presence of FRDs will threaten people's safety and health, and how many of their neighbors feed FRDs were considered as an independent variable. Finally, in order to investigate these variables, we used logistic regression. Results showed that 34.5% of the respondents fed FRDs. Results indicated that people who are more afraid of FRDs are less inclined to feed them (B=-0.810, P=0.000), as well as, people who perceive FRDs as a threat to their safety and health (B=-0.473, P=0.009) are also reluctant to feed them. Also, results indicated that women are more willing to feed FRDs compared to men (B=-1.060, P=0.000). Age and education have no significant effect on people's feeding behavior. This study shows that sustainable management of FRDs ​​population and solving their conflict with people requires a deep understanding of attitude, perception, emotion and other factors.

In today's era, characterized by fluctuating job markets and dynamic business environments, personal attributes such as career adaptability and proactive personality will increasingly influence the post-graduation career trajectory of students. In this context, the research literature shows that career adaptability and proactive personality play an undeniable role in the formation of students' entrepreneurial intention, which is considered an important prerequisite for starting a business. Theoretical evidence suggests that their adaptability resources influence entrepreneurial intention among students. Moreover, the development of career adaptability is intricately linked to a proactive personality, which enables individuals to discern opportunities and devise apt solutions amid uncertain environments, as posited by the Career Construction Theory. In this context, empirical exploration into the nexus of a proactive personality, career adaptability, and entrepreneurial intention remains scarce. Hence, this study aimed to examine the mediating influence of career adaptability between proactive personality and entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students. By fulfilling this research objective, not only does this study contribute to the depth of literature on entrepreneurial intention, but it also sheds light on the significance of fostering career adaptability among agricultural students.

The research adopted a quantitative approach, employing survey methodology and a cross-sectional time frame for data collection and correlational-causal data processing for analysis. The statistical population comprised fourth-year undergraduate agricultural students enrolled in public universities across Iran. Employing the inverse square root method, a sample of 384 students was selected utilizing a multi-stage sampling technique, wherein two universities were randomly chosen from each of the five regions under the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, amounting to a total of ten universities. Data were gathered from students enrolled in the selected universities. The research utilized questionnaires assessing entrepreneurial intention (6 items), proactive personality (3 items), and career adaptability (12 items), designed on a five-point Likert scale within the native Porsline system and distributed online. The validity of the research instruments was ensured through reviews and confirmation by a panel of agricultural education experts. Additionally, reliability was established via a pilot study and calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α > 0.7). The measurement model's validity was affirmed through factor loading calculations and assessments of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability, utilizing Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability (α and CR > 0.7; AVE > 0.5; HTMT < 0.85). Structural equation modeling, employing the partial least squares approach, was employed for data analysis. The SmartPLS4 software facilitated the data analysis process.

The research findings empirically validated the mediating role of career adaptability in the relationship between proactive personality and entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students (β = 0.271, t = 5.174, p = 0.001). Notably, the results also indicate a direct influence of proactive personality on the entrepreneurial intention of the surveyed students (β = 0.291, t = 4.077, p = 0.001). Moreover, this positive effect is evident in both pathways: the direct relationship between proactive personality and entrepreneurial intention and the relationship mediated by career adaptability. Consequently, the career adaptability variable assumes a complementary mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students. This study highlights the significance of proactive personality and career adaptability as pivotal antecedents shaping the entrepreneurial intention of agricultural students. Thus, agricultural students with a proactive disposition can enhance their entrepreneurial intention by fostering their career adaptability. Furthermore, the research findings highlight that both direct and indirect effects exhibit comparable strength, collectively explicating 43.5% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students. Hence, enhancing students' career adaptability is indispensable for fostering entrepreneurial intention within agricultural universities.

The findings demonstrate that the career adaptability of agricultural students, serving as a psychological resource, significantly influences the development of their entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, a proactive personality trait shapes career adaptability. Thus, this research emphasizes that the formation of entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students relies on personal resources, encompassing both career adaptability and proactive personality. Consequently, agricultural higher education institutions aspiring to cultivate entrepreneurial intentions among their students should prioritize initiatives aimed at enhancing career adaptability. These efforts could include organizing educational workshops and inviting successful entrepreneurs. Similarly, fostering proactive personalities can be achieved through empowerment programs and related activities. In essence, the insights collected from this study can inform the design of targeted programs geared toward instilling entrepreneurial intentions among agricultural students. To foster entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students, agricultural higher education institutions are advised to enhance students' career adaptability by engaging entrepreneurs from the agricultural sector and organizing diverse educational workshops, including those focusing on soft skills development. Moreover, initiatives aimed at cultivating a proactive personality among students, such as psychological empowerment programs, can further facilitate the enhancement of their career adaptability. By implementing these strategies, institutions can effectively prepare agricultural students to embark on entrepreneurial endeavors in the agricultural domain.

Natural resource management in Iran follows a hierarchical structure that has different scales at different levels and at each level different actors are involved. In order to achieve consistent participatory management, all organizational actors need coherence. Achieve organizational balance and careful analysis of the policy network in participatory natural resource management. (SNA) Social networking analysis approach , this study analysis organizational cohesion and policy network in participatory natural resource management for 37 institutions related to participatory natural resource management in Hablehroud watershed. The results showed that the intermediate centrality of the four institutions of the Organization of Wars, Rangelands and Watershed Management, Environmental Protection, Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, Ministry of Interior has high control and mediation power. Given the key role of institutions such as NGOs in educating, raising awareness and empowering the local community, this is one of the major challenges facing achieving participatory management in the Hableh River watershed. Institutions such as the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare should also have higher interaction and communication with other related organizations in this field.

Due to the critical nature of agricultural extension in poverty alleviation and increasing food security, it is necessary to pay attention to the entry and barring of new actors through the pluralistic approach in agricultural extension. One of these actors is the private sector, and the issue of service quality is of double importance in the case of this sector of agricultural technical service providers. The statistical population of this research was farmers who had the experience of using the services of consulting, technical and agricultural engineering services companies in Tehran province during the last 5 years, and finally, 201 farmers were selected from the 422 participants through random sampling method. A questionnaire was used to collect data, and to determine its validity, the average value of extracted variance (AVE = 0.82) was used, and to determine the reliability of the research tool, the composite reliability value (CR = 0.95) was used. SERVQUAL model showed that the indicators of the model titled: quality of response (0.84), concreteness (0.79), guarantee (0.77), reliability (0.56), empathy (0.74), loyalty (0.65), company organization (0.65), customer service (0.55) and internal control (0.44) can be modeled. Based on this, it was found that the SERVQUAL model has the necessary credibility for measuring the quality of services provided to farmers and providing services with a higher level of quality by consulting companies for technical and agricultural engineering services.

The present research was conducted with the purpose of content analysis of the elements of Isenberg’s model of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the context of agricultural higher education system. This study was led with an inductive approach, using a qualitative content analysis method. This study with using purposive sampling, startup activists were analyzed in two sections of private and public sector. The MAXQDA12 software was used to manage and analyze data. First, the semantic units were extracted from the interview transcripts. Then these units were categorized according to their common themes. And finally, based on their correlations, the categories were put into seperate classifications called “themes”. According to the findings, the subcomponent of “alignment of universities with the ecosystem” from the component of human capital, the subcomponent of “access to various financial resources” from the component of financial capital, the subcomponent of “market access” from the component of market, the subcomponents of “entrepreneurial attitude” and “entrepreneurship culture” from the component of culture, the subcomponent of “providing infrastructure” from the component of support, and the subcomponent of “legislation” from the component of policy were found to be of the highest level of importance. Moreover, the components of policy and human capital were found to have the first and second priorities respectively, followed by the components of culture, support, market and financial resources which came after considering the level of importance. In the other words, governments, through legislation, and universities, through educational capacities, have the main roles in the development of ecosystem and consequently, the development of the country's entrepreneurship.

According to the literature, the investigation of the role of technical skills in the perceived employability of agricultural students has been neglected by researchers. according to this, the main purpose of this research was to investigate the role of technical skills on the perceived employability of agricultural students.The statistical population of this applied research consists of fourth-year undergraduate agricultural students in the public universities of Iran in the academic year 2021-2022. The sample size was selected using the inverse square root method and multi-stage sampling method (n=384).The research instrument was a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, whose content validity was approved by a panel of experts, as well as calculating the factor loading and the divergent validity and discriminant validity and reliability tests through the calculation of ordinal theta and composite reliability (θ>0.7). Structural equation modeling and finite Mixture algorithm (FIMIX-PLS) were used in data analysis. The results showed that technical skills have a statistically significant relationship with the perceived employability of agricultural students. Also, By discovering the classes of intangible heterogeneity in the context of the research data, it was determined that the power of explaining the perceived employability of agricultural students by technical skills is very low for 79.2% of the studied students and very high for 20.8% of them. The analysis showed that the two groups differ from each other based on interest in the field of study. The obtained results can be used in planning for the movement of agricultural higher education institutions towards training employable students.

In order to increase rural employment, a fundamental need for a deep study with the aim of identifying and analyzing components affecting challenges of Damask Roses cultivation development in East Azerbaijan province is obvious. Related literature review shows that no similar study has analyzed the challenges of Damask Roses cultivation development in the province with futures studies method. For this purpose, after validating the face validity of the research tool (a researcher-made questionnaire) using experts of the cultivation of roses in East Azerbaijan province, the components obtained from the Delphi study were completed and analyzed in the form of matrices and in the Micmac specialized software environment. The results showed effective components of Damask Roses cultivation development in the province included lack of financial capital, chemical contamination (contamination of Damask Roses in some areas with residuals of toxins and chemicals), non-participation of private sector, experts insufficient presence, and non-investment in agricultural infrastructure. Furthermore,  the analysis of the intensity of the relationship between the components showed that the challenges of developing Damask Roses cultivation in the province remain unsolved due to the lack of capital and the creation of a vicious circle.  Simultaneous investing in Damask Roses processing industries, extension of replacing  healthy methods in the management of Damask Roses pests and diseases, establishing laws based on authority delegation, sovereignty, and responsibility of target setting to the policies of cultivating Damask Roses, continuous evaluation, and accountability to the bodies independent from "informal groups with influential and powerful members " in the Ministry of Jihad and Agriculture are among the most important suggestions of present research.