نشریه رهیافت
پیاپی 90 (تابستان 1402)

Higher education system to be able to deal with the missions appropriate to its ecosystem and to be efficient in providing services to the society, depends on recognizing the diverse demands of the society. Understanding the society's demands is very important, because what naturally links the university institution to the society is the university's response to the society's existing demands, which shows itself in the form of alignment between the university's supply and the society's demand. Therefore, the aim of this research was to identify the dimensions and nature of the existing demands for higher education in the university ecosystem of Iran. An important contribution of this research is understanding the demand for higher education by clarifying its complex and multifaceted nature. In fact, the findings of this research, by shedding light on a variety of Iranian society's demands from the university institution, prevent us from reducing these demands to social demand, and in addition, highlights and conceptualizes two other types of demand, i.e., the economic demand of the business sector and the political demand of the government. This research was conducted using a basic qualitative method based on the study and review of the lived experience of effective actors and experts of higher education in Iran. In this regard, 39 people were identified, and the experiences of 23 of them were explored using semi-structured interviews until reaching theoretical saturation. Data analysis was done using qualitative thematic analysis method, and validity of the findings were checked using techniques such as data triangulation, independent review, and contextual description. According to the findings, three main themes were identified in the field of social demand, namely "ladder of livelihood and social status", "ladder of virtue and moral education" and "ladder of civic participation and social activism". As can be expected, for the vast majority of people in the society, providing the basic and livelihood needs and then achieving the appropriate social status is of the highest priority and importance, which shows itself in the demand for a better job and a higher economic status. Another important social demand that has deep historical roots is that knowledge and learning have intrinsic value for people. The third theme of social demand, that is, the university as a "ladder of service and civic participation", shows itself in commitment to public interests of the country, learning constructive social discussion and social activism aimed at justice and anti-tyranny

The macro issue of employment is one of the most critical issues facing the country. Graduate employment has a special place among its sub-sectors because it involves significant individual and national opportunity costs. Correct and effective policy-making in graduate employment requires correct and accurate information. The employment environment is mainly described by indicators such as unemployment and economic activity. Although indicators can show part of the problems of the graduate business environment, more is needed to achieve a macro view and planning in this field. Global studies show that skill-job fit indicators, field title-job and degree-job are usually used on a wide scale. Therefore, in the present article, based on the statistics of the labour force census plan and with a local and innovative method, the indicators of the active population, employed, having a related job and having a suitable level of education for the graduates of different university fields of the country were calculated. In the continuation of the study fields based on the two dimensions of employment (based on the indicators of the share of the active population from the total graduates and the share of the employed from the active population) and education (based on the indicators of the share of employees with related jobs from the total number of employees and the share of employees with a proportional level of education from employees with related jobs) became In the following, by designing a nine-house framework based on the favorable, semi-favorable and unfavorable status of each aspect of employment and education, academic fields in five types of undeveloped fields (art and biological sciences), less developed fields (law, personal services, architecture, physical sciences, industry, Behavioral sciences and agriculture), emerging fields (business and mathematics), unbalanced development fields (engineering), developed fields (veterinary science, security services, journalism and humanities) and pioneering fields (health and teacher education) were classified. Finally, the findings were deepened by matching them with additional data (such as the share of majors in different occupational groups and the share of private employment and entrepreneurship of majors).

In recent years, as social issues grow more intricate, the need for applying science and technology to address them has become vital. Universities, among the key institutions linked to science and technology, are playing an expanding social role. They are evolving, adjusting, and refining their roles and structures to better engage with society and meet their responsibilities to both internal and external stakeholders.As universities play a larger role in society, their social responsibility has transformed from being a peripheral concern to becoming a fundamental and essential concept embedded in all university functions. Understanding the path that led to the conceptualization of social responsibility in universities is important for guiding future research and policies.In this regard, this article aims to answer the question of how the idea of social responsibility in universities has evolved in the last four decades. Using the Metatheory method, with a systematic review of related research, to understand the intellectual, social, internal, and external dimensions of this concept It identifies the theoretical and social themes impacting this concept, spanning economic, political, social, and technological fields, as well as the policies and actions of governments and organizations. The article also looks into how other concepts, theories, schools of thought, tools, paradigms, and local and international networks have influenced the expansion of this concept. The goal is to trace the evolution of this concept over the last four decades.The research results show that in the past, two main approaches dominated the idea of the university's social responsibility (economic development and social justice), and in recent years, there's been a convergence towards a new approach (public goods).Additionally, systematic reviews of relevant research showed that the evolution of the concept of social responsibility in universities has been divided into three time periods over the last 40 years.The “social service” or outreach period (from the 1980s onward), The "social participation" period (from 2000 onward) and The "social engagement" period (from 2015 onward).Thus, to maintain their relevance and significance in society, universities must actively involve external stakeholders such as industries, markets, and communities in all aspects of their academic work, including their structure, strategy, and functions. This active engagement with the outside world is crucial for the university's ongoing role in society.

Using the evaluation standards and procedures used by the global ranking systems, the study's primary goal is to offer recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the ranking systems for universities and research institutions.

A comparative study technique was utilized to examine four international ranking systems and the ISC in order to determine the evaluation metrics and how universities and research institutions are ranked. Then, a critical analysis was applied and recommendations were given in the area of evaluation indicators and ranking processes of universities and research institutes based on the indicators and ranking processes of the ISC. The chosen indicators were validated by 10 specialists in the domains of scientometrics, webometrics, information science, and epistemology.

Based on the indicators of the country, primary organization, affiliation, starting point of the activity, primary criteria, data sources, evaluation criteria, extent of coverage, and field of activity, the rating systems were examined. The study's findings revealed that most systems' primary objectives are to assist students in selecting a university and offer recommendations to institutions on how to enhance their operations. The standards of research and education are given particular priority in these systems. Most systems use registration systems and surveys, self-reports, and legitimate databases as their data sources.

The ISC should continue its activities in a private and revenue-generating manner, according to the study's findings, and its goals should be amended. Based on the goals, the primary procedure and criteria should also be in place. It has to be substantially changed.

Today, the concept and theory of the ecosystem of innovation has received the attention of researchers and policy makers in the field of innovation in an inclusive and serious way. This concept refers to all economic factors and economic relationships as well as non-economic components such as technologies, institutions, social interactions and culture that enable the formation and diffusion of innovation. The present study, which uses a qualitative approach and action research strategy, has analyzed a policy program called the development and enhancement of the province's innovation ecosystem (TANA) which was implemented in the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in response to a policy problem means weakness and inadequacy in the ecosystem of innovation in different provinces. The findings of the research show that the mentioned program has positive points and advantages such as promoting innovation discourse, strengthening the link between universities, research centers and technology centers and increasing legitimacy of science and technology parks among the actors of the province's innovation ecosystem. In addition, the weaknesses and inadequacies of program were observed and identified in four dimensions including the supply and idea side, the demand and need side, the executive organization side and the policy side were observed and identified. Then, these weaknesses and inadequacies are used as a basis for providing solutions and suggestions to improve and strengthen the program in five areas as follow: financial support and investment, support for cultural development and promotion of discourse, support for ideation and team building, encouraging and stimulating the demand side and supporting networking and match-making.

Recent studies on corporate entrepreneurship demonstrate as a firm-level business phenomenon, and plays an important role in incentive innovation, revitalizing the organization, increasing productivity, and ultimately creating superior market advantage. Today, startups are driving major innovations that are replacing the existing business models. By adapting open innovation, the paradigm assumes firms should use external and internal ideas and paths to the potential corporate accelerators. Open innovation is one of the factors that has played a significant role in the development and promotion of technology.Accelerator programs are defined as three to six months that support cohorts of startups in the new venture process while completing an incubator program within one to five years. This research aims to identify the dimensions and indicators of a framework for a corporate business acceleration program. The promise of corporate accelerators lies in bridging the gap between corporations and startups and may lead to an increase in the success of both for collaborative contracting. The process of corporate accelerator describes the CA program. Accelerators go through a three-step phase of pre-acceleration, acceleration, and post-acceleration. Pre-acceleration programs are the first phase in cohort-based and contribute to the CA program by focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship and describing how pre-accelerators support aspiring entrepreneurs.Pre-accelerators are similar to accelerators that offer a cohort-based fixed duration program which usually ends in a demo or pitch day, intending to speed up the entrepreneurial development process. However, pre-accelerators are much shorter in duration and are offered at the pre-venture stage, where a problem-solution fit is still being developed. Once a venture concept is developed enough and teams are formed, accelerators and incubators become more relevant. Below we describe in more detail these key elements for pre-accelerators. In this phase, the applicants for the CA program would be declared through the related website. Corporate accelerators build bridges between corporations and startups. In the acceleration framework, the real support of entrepreneurs through the time-limited would be done, whereby the time between programs is different (3-6 months). It is necessary to support corporators by providing financial resources.post-acceleration phase is an essential cornerstone that greatly impacts the assessment and success of corporate accelerator programs. It plays a major role in the development and execution of new ideas.This study contributes to practice by introducing more clarity between the list of support systems and content for entrepreneurs and support organizations, but also for policymakers who need to understand the roles of different actors in the ecosystem. Moreover, it contributes to research by focusing on the early stages of entrepreneurship and describing how pre-accelerators support eager entrepreneurs.Three organizational learning processes are identified: (a) knowledge creation, (b) knowledge transfer, and (c) knowledge retention. It appears that corporate accelerators influence all three processes, with a particular focus on knowledge transfer from the corporate accelerator to the parent organization. This, undoubtedly, represents the most suitable stage for strengthening organizational learning and is facilitated through entrepreneurial investments via corporate accelerator programs. Knowledge transfer is the primary aspect of the organizational learning process in this context, while knowledge retention plays a secondary role for corporate accelerators (CAs). The three broad dimensions that influence organizational learning through corporate accelerators encompass environmental factors, human factors, and organizational methodologies. Environmental factors include the organizational structure, culture, and industry environment. Selecting accelerator personnel should be done meticulously, with their attributes being a combination of desired trainee characteristics while possessing skills that are valuable for complementing employees. Given the importance of human factors in an accelerator program, organizations should pay attention to the mindset, learning orientation, and willingness to change of their employees.The research methodology used in this study is practical-developmental in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of its type. It provides a framework for assessing the context of accelerator program implementation, including the ecosystem and hosting institution. It then delves into a rational understanding of the program's objectives from the perspective of the executing institution as part of the research outcomes. The framework begins with an assessment of the program's context, encompassing the ecosystem and hosting institution, and subsequently focuses on a logical comprehension of the program's objectives from the perspective of the executing institution and could be used in the ICT area in Iran. Following this, it describes design parameters and recommends specific considerations to be considered during program design.Furthermore, describing design parameters and highlighting specific considerations during program design is recommended. Ultimately, the framework emphasizes the importance of the learning process and continuous improvement. Given that contextual considerations are constantly evolving, both internally and externally, the design process is one of the stages that should be continuously iterated upon. As the program progresses, it should be reevaluated based on feedback from the beneficiary startups and other stakeholders to ensure its ongoing relevance and effectiveness.