Methods for Strengthening the National and Religious Identity of University Students from the Viewpoint of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei

The present article aims to thoroughly examine the common cultural aspects and the acceptance of the principle of the Islamicization of universities, while highlighting the emphasis put by Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei on the importance and role of centers for higher education in strengthening the national-religious identity of university students. According Jenkins’ theory of identity, the environment and individuals are held up by the youth as models to follow for bringing about changes or strengthening their beliefs; and consequently the student highlight and interpret factors that influence their beliefs, in different manners. In fact, the effect of university on the students can be determined in a multi-faceted manner, on the basis of cultural and social background of the students. The methodology used in the present article is descriptive. As a part of the document study for this study, the works of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei were examined, and the findings were combined with the results of a survey of 300 university students. The results indicate that students regarded Hijab, editing text books on the basis of Islamic knowledge and worldview, establishing Islamic student councils, encouraging student to study the Iranian-Islamic identity, and holding meetings, among other things, as important factors for strengthening the Islamic beliefs of the students. The ideas of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei indicate that identification with and holding up pious professors as a model can act as an effective mechanism for strengthening the religious beliefs of the students.