A Reflection on Strategies to Enhance the Universities’ Effectiveness on the Societal Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The course of scientific developments of universities and higher education institutes has led to the emergence of community-based universities, with an approach of effectiveness and enjoying stable societal functions in society. The purpose of the university’s stabilizing function is societal security. The present study is carried out through a combined exploratory method aims at identifying ways to enhance the university’s effect on the societal security of the IRI. In the qualitative section, the scholars in this field were interviewed. 88 indicators were identified based on the results of content analysis and interview coding. The indicators were categorized within the following 7 dimensions: “Teachers as Architects of Knowledge Teaching and Responsible Life”, “Student Education with the Purpose of Creativity and Continuity of Order”, “Academic Space and Environment as the Most Important Place for the Manifestation of Societal Relations,” “Efficient and Satisfactory Management”, “Education of citizenship rights and responsibilities”,” Research on new issues through a new way” and “Promoting of forbearance and justice-seeking culture towards a safe and sustainable society”. In the quantitative section, a questionnaire was designed based on the dimensions and indicators identified, and then distributed among 170 experts in the field of research. The data analysis results indicate that the most important strategies for the university’s effectiveness in promoting the societal security in the 7 aforementioned dimensions are: “The formation of scientific communities in the university”, “Review of the system of recruitment and promotion of lecturers based on the importance of civic activities and the provision of social services”, “Consideration of the social and civil activities of students for their promotion to higher levels of education”, “Rethinking the institutional values ​​of the university”, “The relationship of education with the practice and needs of the community”, “Conducting interventional research in the field of social harms” and “Establishing compatibility between the university and the surrounding community”.