Azad University: Academic Problem or Political Dispute?

The disagreement between Azad University and the Ministry of Science regarding several master's degree programs has spilled into the media. The Ministry of Science has denied admission for students to about 30% of Azad University's graduate programs this year. According to officials from the ministry, last year a one-year permit was granted for about 4,600 academic programs offered at over 400 Azad University campuses (each program at a geographical unit of Azad University has a code) to allow these centers to align with the ministry's standards. Some of these centers managed to meet the necessary conditions to continue their activities, while about 2,900 programs (one-third of all Azad University master's programs with a capacity of around 80,000 students) were discontinued due to a lack of necessary criteria. In response, Azad University officials claim that they have adhered to the Ministry of Science's standards and have made significant progress in these programs, especially in the composition of academic staff. The challenge of higher education quality reflects the ongoing issues raised in the media by the Ministry of Science, indicating a conflict between the Higher Education Expansion Council and Azad University regarding the quality and educational standards of master's degree programs. The Ministry asserts that it has given Azad University ample opportunity to improve educational quality and that the deleted programs lacked minimum quality standards. The main problem for Azad University, according to the Ministry, is a shortage of faculty and academic staff, a disconnect with labor market needs, and a low educational level for some master's programs. The chaotic state of higher education in the 1980s led to a staggering increase in the number of students transitioning from associate and bachelor's degrees to master's and doctoral programs, creating a new generation of students who, after four years of university, pursue higher degrees. The issue of higher education quality in Iran has been a longstanding discussion that has emerged over the past two decades. Higher education in Iran witnessed explosive quantitative growth from the early 1980s to the 1990s, with the student population rising from about 175,000 before the Cultural Revolution (1979) to over 5 million (28 times) in the early 1990s. The rapid annual growth rate of 12% in student numbers was not accompanied by an expansion of educational and research facilities, leading to a severe decline in the quality of higher education in Iran, especially in the private sector (Azad University network, non-profit universities) and the Payame Noor correspondence university. In the 1990s, for the first time, the Ministry of Science raised the issue of focusing on quality, labor market relevance, research development, and controlling quantitative growth. At that time, even the existence of one and a half million students was deemed incompatible with the actual capacity and capabilities of higher education and the labor market in Iran. However, despite these warnings, the race to increase the capacity of higher education institutions continued, and non-governmental universities expanded their activities without a national educational roadmap, even launching master's and doctoral programs. The chaotic state of higher education in the 1980s resulted in a staggering increase in the number of students transitioning from associate and bachelor's degrees to master's and doctoral programs, creating a new generation of students who pursue higher degrees after four years of university. The mushrooming of master's programs without educational and research facilities and qualified academic staff, or disconnected from the actual needs of the labor market, has further exacerbated the serious challenges of quality and inflation of academic fields in stagnant Iranian higher education. Azad University, which began accepting 3,000 students in the early 1980s, aimed to be a private institution similar to the Open University in London or some Asian countries. In this type of university, students have significant freedom in choosing courses, and the goal is more about acquiring knowledge and skills in a specific area rather than obtaining a degree. However, the sharp increase in social demand quickly transformed Azad University into a regular university, expanding its network to over 400 locations in Iran. In its early years, Azad University played a significant role in expanding higher education and bringing it to small and medium-sized cities in Iran. However, it seems that since the 2000s, instead of focusing on educational and research quality and addressing the shortcomings of its early years, managing this financial empire and expanding its influence has become the primary concern of its administrators. A comparison of Azad University's facilities with its student population (about 1.7 million) and the marginal status of research alongside education clearly indicates the poor quality of various branches of this institution. One of the fundamental and persistent weaknesses of Azad University is the low ratio of faculty to students and the lack of professors and associate professors in its academic staff. For example, only 2% of the academic staff are professors, and 4% are associate professors, while assistant professors, instructors, and part-time faculty make up 94% of the remaining teaching staff. Master's and doctoral programs worldwide require qualified academic staff (especially professors and associate professors) and educational facilities, along with close ties to the labor market or research centers. Many units of Azad University, especially in small towns and remote areas, lack the minimum facilities to launch master's programs. Azad University, like other sectors of higher education, has not grown in connection with labor market needs and societal demands, resulting in an increasing gap between the labor market and its needs and graduates who struggle to find economic opportunities in a stagnant and outdated economy. Simultaneously, the low quality of a significant part of higher education prevents Iran's educated workforce from becoming a positive factor in the dynamism and economic renewal of the country. The widespread phenomenon of inefficiency and unemployment among higher education graduates in Iran is an inevitable consequence of this pathological situation. The average number of graduates in Iran in the first five years of the 1990s is 700,000 per year, with more than half of them having no place in the Iranian labor market. One reason for the rush to master's and doctoral programs is this widespread unemployment among graduates, who see no prospects other than remaining in university or participating in a nationwide competition for diplomas. The widespread phenomenon of inefficiency and unemployment among higher education graduates in Iran is an inevitable consequence of this pathological situation. The average number of graduates in Iran in the first five years of the 1990s is 700,000 per year, with more than half of them having no place in the Iranian labor market. One reason for the rush to master's and doctoral programs is this widespread unemployment among graduates, who see no prospects other than remaining in university or participating in a nationwide competition for diplomas. Azad University as a political hostage Mohammad Ali Nourian, the head of Azad University, who succeeded Mirzadeh, the former president of the university, in a quasi-coup led by Ali Akbar Velayati (the head of the board of trustees), considers the actions of the Ministry of Science to be political and claims that Azad University has taken serious steps to improve educational quality and meet the Ministry's standards. Velayati also speaks of the Ministry's "obstructionism." Many Iranian media outlets have approached the news of the denial of some educational programs more from a political perspective, as Azad University has long been a battleground for political factions in Iran. Since its establishment, Azad University has been supported by Hashemi Rafsanjani, and during his presidency, it experienced a period of quantitative growth, serving as one of his political levers. Political opponents of Rafsanjani have continuously sought to wrest this powerful and wealthy network from his and his associates' grasp. Rafsanjani's death made the balance of power in the board of trustees more fragile than ever, and Mirzadeh's dismissal on corruption charges and Nourian's appointment by Velayati can be seen as one of the consequences of the isolation of Rafsanjani's faction. The details of this transition, which was accompanied by protests from Ahmad Khomeini, indicate that the problem is more political, with a small group behind the scenes fighting over this legacy. The Ministry of Science's objections to Azad University are understandable and largely consistent with data regarding the quality status of Azad University. In the past, the Ministry of Science has also attempted to engage with Azad University over educational and research quality and to oversee its operations. However, it has been unable to exert sufficient influence over Azad University, and the unregulated expansion of this institution has continued. The main problem in Iran is that judging crises like the status of Azad University is never easy, as the absence of a neutral and credible authority for evaluation and the lack of transparency in relationships and policies prevent external observers from being fully informed about all aspects of the situation. This narrative also applies to other events at Azad University in recent years, including the opaque dismissal of Mirzadeh. Iranian higher education suffers from extensive government interference, politics, and non-educational institutions (representatives of leadership, Basij, military forces, security...) in educational and research affairs and a lack of academic independence. Thus, the academic and educational fate of 1.7 million students and about 45,000 faculty members is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals who sometimes have little expertise in academia and scientific work. The evaluation of the academic level of universities and their programs should be conducted by independent and credible non-governmental centers without political and ideological filters, as is common in many countries worldwide. These independent centers, employing both domestic and international experts and basing their evaluations on recognized and transparent quality criteria, guarantee the academic credibility and independence of universities. The existence of a neutral and scientific authority for educational and research evaluation ensures that not only the academic and educational credibility of a university is accurately assessed but also that political and ideological interference in universities and the continuous undermining of their independence by governments is blocked.