University Style in the Expression and Biography of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani; Towards a Research Agenda

The evolution of society depends on the evolution of insights and tendencies, in other words, the evolution of the university. The biography of some social reform activists, such as Ayatollah Mahdavi, about the construction of the university and the evolution of previous stereotypes also confirms this claim. The founding of Imam Sadegh (as) University by Ayatollah Mahdavi shows that the evolution of the social sciences and consequently the social transformation can not be reduced to a mere theoretical and epistemological debate, but for its operational guidance, we need to build non-epistemic factors such as university and styles that Its rulers took steps to lead this transformation. According to many domestic and foreign experts, one of the key elements in founding and maintaining a university is the style of governing and, and in simpler terms, how it is organized. Despite what is happening in the world, attention to this issue is less seen in Iranian-Islamic literature. While interrogating the patterns formed in the lap of the Islamic Revolution, we can have a good share of help for this issue. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to study the construction and management of Ayatollah Mahdavi at Imam Sadegh University.

In this research, after an extensive and analytical review of the background of modern university and the evolution of its leadership models, a conceptual framework is presented. According to this framework, data from the remaining works of Ayatollah Mahdavi were collected and analyzed by content analysis method, and based on them, his ideas and principles of university administration were extracted.

The principles of Ayatollah Mahdavi's university administration are: a style based on humanization, applying the traditions of the seminary in the university with emphasis on Islamic teachings, interactive independence in relation to the Ministry of Science and financial independence.

Finally, it can be said that the cornerstone for a new research platform or research agenda on the academic leadership style of Ayatollah Mahdavi, has been presented.