Production of Science or Production of Notes

Taghi Azadarmaki, a sociology professor at Tehran University, criticized the current conditions prevailing in the scientific environment of the country's universities in an interview with Shargh newspaper on Thursday, warning about the strengthening of anti-scientific approaches in universities. Azadarmaki stated that universities in Iran have followed a bureaucratic path instead of becoming more academic. Radio Farda initially asked Hossein Ghazian, a sociologist residing in the U.S., about the accuracy of this statement: Ghazian agreed to a large extent, noting that both the methods of hiring and promoting professors reflect this bureaucratic trend. He emphasized that universities lack independence against administrative bodies and political power. Furthermore, when examining the production of science, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences, it has practically been replaced by the production of notes and recording professors' lectures, with academic promotions being based on a completely bureaucratic process that pays little attention to scientific input and content. Azadarmaki also mentioned that specialized knowledge is not allowed to grow in Iran, and only general knowledge is accepted. He pointed out that there are both fundamental and superficial reasons for this approach, indicating that there is a lack of perceived need for social sciences in society, with the ruling powers believing that social sciences are Western imports that can be replaced with Islamic critiques. He argued that if political power had the opportunity, it would eliminate these fields altogether, as seen in women's studies, which were transformed into a form of Islamic studies when they could not be eradicated. He highlighted the importance of foundational factors such as lack of transparency, access to information, and freedom of expression, which hinder criticism of this situation. Ghazian identified the politicization of universities as one of the current problems, stating that this reinforces anti-scientific approaches. However, he disagreed with the notion that universities should focus on political and public matters, arguing that they have been largely excluded from decision-making processes regarding public interests. He acknowledged that political power has replaced scientific standards in university governance, but noted that universities have been increasingly distanced from engaging in public discussions and decision-making.