Future Studies of Higher Education
M. Farasatkhah
Abstract
udent of higher education and before taking this auspicious office, I would like to share my thoughts with a brief introduction in six paragraphs followed by a short statement on the evolution of the climate of knowledge and higher education. INTRODUCTION First, future studies in Iran’s ...
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udent of higher education and before taking this auspicious office, I would like to share my thoughts with a brief introduction in six paragraphs followed by a short statement on the evolution of the climate of knowledge and higher education. INTRODUCTION First, future studies in Iran’s higher education is a "research program" which like any other research program, expands and develops over time and that in addition to epistemological significance also has emotional value for researchers and audience. This happens when both researchers and readers want to know it well that what matters them the most. This is something that has become meaningless to us and we don't have any excitement about it, hence; maybe it doesn't really matter much whether it will have a future or not? And if so, then what kind of future will it have? Therefore, it is necessary for us to be sensitive on the issue whether higher education in Iran still has supporters and beneficiaries who consider it as cognitively and emotionally important in a sense that their hearts beat for its future and know what possibilities lie ahead of their most favored higher education? Second, the future research in Iran, including its higher education, is important when we have spatial attachment to this land. As such, we must gather all our sensitivities so that our deep attachment to this water and soil, including its knowledge-acquiring centers, universities, and higher education, remain relevant to the extent that we will constantly want to pursue the study for the future of the motherland, the flow of life as well as the flow of learning and knowledge creation in it. Third, another possible condition for the future research in Iran’s higher education is that we must have this noble sense of self-efficacy that we are still serious actors of the present and the future of this land, that is, the thought of agency and activity remains with us. The Iranian researcher is motivated to the future study of higher education when his mind is still opulent. Let us not fall to the bottom and into mental and emotional fatigue. Can we expect from an old mind to sit and think about his future! Fourth, scientific enthusiasm, research spirit and discovery are among high-level needs and a sense of human self-actualization that according to Inglehart, are most needed. When human values cast a shadow on behavior, they often want to pull their rug out of the water and keep themselves afloat. Serious studies, especially future studies, cannot be expected in such circumstances. If that is the state of the present situation, there is no room for thinking about the future, whether research or higher education. Fifth, every nation needs its own story. People who have a story as well as civilizational and cultural memory, the same can become a great source of the continuity of a nation's history and lineage and makes them sensitive towards their future. When we have Gendi Shapur, Baytul-Hikmeh, Khwarazmi and Biruni in our memory, we are also curious about the future of our history. At the same time, clinging too much to ideologies built from the past can dominate our environment and relationships in the form of false knowledge, and lead to a closed identity and prevent us from thinking about change and building the future. A large part of future research is based on the spirit of transformation and scenario of "alternative thinking". Future research will be meaningful when our identity search is open and inclined to new and different experiences. Sixth, the future of Iran's higher education, whether good or bad, is socially constructed. In order to create a preferred and desirable future among all possible and probable ones, it is indeed necessary to provide all means for the participation of scientists, critical thinkers and independent researchers in this land. In other words, futuristic research, more than any other interdisciplinary knowledge, depends on scientific freedom, critical thinking and social rationality. Future research is an epistemological and social system of a scholarly effort to investigate and understand future fields and alternative options, by creating a platform for dialogue and a satisfactory search of a network of stakeholders in order to gain insight into discrete futures (especially in a world with complex content in a state of chaos) and to think and act proactively about them. Without the companionship of critical minds and conflicting subjects, it is impossible to achieve a satisfactory understanding of future developments of higher education as well as a proactive action towards it. SEVEN CLIMATES OF UNIVERSITY We are thrown into very different futures than higher education where probably we have neither an adequate understanding nor we are prepared to live in. We need environmental scanning for a future research. Different models are applied such as PEST or STEEP_V and internal and external conflicts model. Another model is "Seven Climates" from Barnett. The seven climates of university are deeply involved in discontinuity and epochal developments. The entire ecosystem is transformed with the climate of science and technology, climate of citizens, climate of culture, climate of society, climate of economy, climate of nature and, climate of learning.There is nothing left in the higher education environment that does not change. With these ecological transformations, huge dinosaurs will become extinct, and only those creatures will survive that show creative, self-aware and thoughtful adaptation to these discrete changes. Look at the only item i.e. Internet what it has done to us. The whole social and cultural mentality and relationships, including the world of education and learning, have deeply surprised us and are constantly working and will not stop. Will academics become obsolete against the so-called "ideal technological man"? Will the excessive mediation of technique cause the world deviate from higher education? The trans-human world will transform the nature and faculty of our higher education; Internet of things and Internet of thoughts, cyborgs and metaverse and in other cases microchips and nanorobots are implanted in the bodies of university students, teachers and administrators, transform our intellectual performance, working memory and entire cognitive and emotional activities, and very inevitably, educational and research actions are transformed into unimaginable dimensions. So let's conclude that just one item of the transformation of information and communications technologies and virtual networking and digital consumption, in a contradictory way, is a problem for us but at the same time a solution. What will be the future of this problem and what do we do with it? The policymaking experience of these four decades has shown that we have always wanted to move with time and did not have an intelligent and creative understanding of changes in the Iranian ecosystem and were often asynchronous with changes in the global lifestyle. I hope that this special issue, which was made possible by scientific efforts of Iranian writers inside and outside of the country and the respected referees of these articles, as well as the praiseworthy efforts of the quarterly’s executive director, Mahnaz Shahalizadeh, and finally, the encouragement of the editor and the members of the editorial board, it will be useful for researchers and policymakers and all social actors and further its discussions will be taken seriously in the third world which is an intersubjective world.
Future Studies of Higher Education
A. Paya; H. Ebrahimabadi
Abstract
Much has been written about the future of universities. One can safely assume that experts will continue to present their views concerning this important issue in a bid to inform and enlighten policymakers as well as the public. In this paper, we try to deal with some aspects of the future of universities ...
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Much has been written about the future of universities. One can safely assume that experts will continue to present their views concerning this important issue in a bid to inform and enlighten policymakers as well as the public. In this paper, we try to deal with some aspects of the future of universities not much discussed by other researchers. Following a brief introduction to one of the important issues related to the higher education systems, i.e., the issue of conceptual changes, developments in the social and cultural contexts, and technological advances all in relation to higher education, we turn our attention to the problem of the decline of current models of university. We next discuss the impact of emergent (NBIC) technologies on the modes of teaching in future. In the last section we provide our own account of the future of the university in Iran and highlight some of the conditions necessary for its realization.
Future Studies of Higher Education
M. Taheri Demneh; A. Zackery; A. Asadnia
Abstract
The movement from intra-disciplinary toward inter-disciplinary approaches by focusing on real-world problems is a growing trend in higher education. Thus, next generation universities will move toward inter-disciplinary discourses. In the meantime, systematic studies of futures or futures studies have ...
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The movement from intra-disciplinary toward inter-disciplinary approaches by focusing on real-world problems is a growing trend in higher education. Thus, next generation universities will move toward inter-disciplinary discourses. In the meantime, systematic studies of futures or futures studies have also been considered by academics in various fields. In this qualitative meta-synthesis, an attempt is made to investigate the status of future-oriented studies in various disciplines in order to map the distribution these studies. Through a rigorous selection process, 737 articles were chosen and categorized into 19 main categories and 350 secondary categories which were correspondingly classified under more detailed sub-categories. The results indicate that geographical planning, security, and corporate foresight have had the highest application of futures studies. By contrast, sports, women’s studies and futures of professions had the lowest number of articles. This paper highlights the conspicuous gaps in future-oriented interdisciplinary researches along with their strength and weaknesses.
Future Studies of Higher Education
M. Hoseini Moghadam; M. Hamidi
Abstract
With the growing complexity of current and future world issues, the interconnectedness and, interdependence of thematic areas has become one of the shared norms and practices today. This also has led to the development of interdisciplinary studies in scientific and technological institutions and has ...
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With the growing complexity of current and future world issues, the interconnectedness and, interdependence of thematic areas has become one of the shared norms and practices today. This also has led to the development of interdisciplinary studies in scientific and technological institutions and has become one of the universal trends of policy-making in science, technology and, innovation domains. Climate change, environmental pollution, the steady increase in longevity and aging of societies, global poverty, international financial crises, global diseases, terrorism, addiction and injustice are some of the topics whose foresight is beyond the power of individual and requires thinking, dialogue and cooperation in different specialized fields. The main question is: Which future scenarios can lead to the development of interdisciplinary studies in Iran’s medical universities? Documentary studies, expert panels and brainstorming are some of the methods applied in this research. The findings include: first, interdisciplinary knowledge is identified in response to complex social issues rooted in the present and the future; second, the development of interdisciplinarity in medical sciences requires a process of simultaneous top-down and bottom-up development; third, building a preferable future for the development of interdisciplinary knowledge in Iran's medical sciences involves attention to the facts that shape the subject at different levels from objective to subjective, and, therefore, a range of short-term to long-term approaches, plans and actions to build objectivity and related mindsets.
Future Studies of Higher Education
A. Rezayan; E. Marzban; A.H. Rezayan; M. Marzban
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify and determine key factors, emerging trends and driving forces in the development of future faculty promotion regulations (FPR) and evaluate the structural relationship between key factors over the Horizon 2035. For this purpose, relying on a mixed methodology ...
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The purpose of this study is to identify and determine key factors, emerging trends and driving forces in the development of future faculty promotion regulations (FPR) and evaluate the structural relationship between key factors over the Horizon 2035. For this purpose, relying on a mixed methodology and using the literature review, interviews, the cross-impact analysis matrix, MicMac software and expert panels, key factors are identified and the relationship of influence and dependence between them are structurally analyzed. As a result, five forces including "Discourse governing higher education in Iran", "Society (industry, market and government) expectation of higher education", "Economics of higher education", "Competitiveness and internationalization of higher education" and "Emerging challenges and development of Interdisciplinary sciences" are considered as drivers of change in the subject of research and the function and influence of each in the future of the faculty promotion system is explained. Accordingly, upgrading future editions of FPR requires alignment with the identified drivers, considering structural complexities between key factors and adapting to changes in the social, economic and political environment through interdisciplinary and futuristic approaches.
Future Studies of Higher Education
J. Shahvali Kohshouri; A.R. Askari; R. Nazari; A.R. Naghsh
Abstract
Sports science and future studies have both emerged as an interdisciplinary field in the world. Interdisciplinary studies is one of the areas that has grown in parallel with these two, and have had a tangible and fundamental impact on them and have been influenced by them. Interdisciplinary research ...
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Sports science and future studies have both emerged as an interdisciplinary field in the world. Interdisciplinary studies is one of the areas that has grown in parallel with these two, and have had a tangible and fundamental impact on them and have been influenced by them. Interdisciplinary research is very important, especially in the field of sports, which has ambitious goals in addition to its health-oriented nature. Therefore, a strategic corridor for the development of Iranian university sports was emerged in this article, by using the scenario tool as one of the future research methods. Exercises in universities are an institutional form of the physical education trend for a healthy and active life. The participants of the present analytical and exploratory study included 34 domestic and foreign individuals interested in Iranian university sports who were selected based on the purposive sampling. Data were collected through interviews and open questionnaires. Based on the findings, analysis of 30 main factors eventually led to production of two key uncertainties of "joining the global sports movement" and "systematization of sustained physical activity", which became the basis for the development of four scenarios named Damavand, Tafakhr, Rooz-az-No and physics. In order to develop the Iranian university sports, separate policies should be developed in different domains of university sports based on sustainable physical activities.
Future Studies of Higher Education
A. Khaledi; R. Asadifard; A. Shojaati; J. Gharibi
Abstract
The nature of future jobs will be different from what we have today, due to trends and changes in the society. Therefore, one cannot expect trained human resources in past jobs to have the potential to play a role in new and emerging jobs in the future. Meanwhile, as one of the sectors with high employment ...
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The nature of future jobs will be different from what we have today, due to trends and changes in the society. Therefore, one cannot expect trained human resources in past jobs to have the potential to play a role in new and emerging jobs in the future. Meanwhile, as one of the sectors with high employment potential, the agricultural sector will also see job changes under the influence of transformative trends. Therefore, the present research seeks to conduct a future study of agricultural jobs. For this purpose, the qualitative approach of environmental scanning has been used as a method. In this process, apart from reviewing documents and reports, 13 experts selected by snowball sampling from different fields of agriculture familiar with training and development of agricultural jobs were also interviewed. The value of the agreement coefficient between the evaluators (Cohen’s Kappa) was sufficient. Overall, the results indicate that on the one hand, trends such as reducing economic potential and shrinking agricultural land and consequently increasing the risk of agricultural activities have had negative impacts on employment. On the other hand, trends of increasing population and the necessity of agricultural products for society are factors with significant potential to curb the decline in demand for agricultural jobs. The outcome of these factors will eventually lead to the emergence of jobs based on higher-profit, knowledge-based products, and focus on waste reduction or business recovery.
Future Studies of Higher Education
R. Maniee; H. Kamali
Abstract
The main theme of futures studies in higher education is the systematic identification of forces and drivers of change, opportunities and threats to change, designing a vision and a favorable future for higher education and an effective university, and designing effective strategies and actions to achieve ...
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The main theme of futures studies in higher education is the systematic identification of forces and drivers of change, opportunities and threats to change, designing a vision and a favorable future for higher education and an effective university, and designing effective strategies and actions to achieve a desirable future. Therefore, this study aims to outline the futures studies desk of higher education located in the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education during (2014 to 2021) as a systematic manifestation of futures studies in Iran. For this purpose, the qualitative meta-analysis method is used to analyze and integrate these studies with a comprehensive approach (quantitative and qualitative) in both form and content dimensions. Findings in the form of evidence indicate the continuation of desk studies in different years and the participation of a diverse range of stakeholders from the scientific and managerial body of universities, higher education and research institutions. On the other hand, in the content dimension of desk studies in five thematic categories including effective management and planning in higher education, evaluation and quality of universities and research centers, curriculum and university learning, information and communication technology and cyberspace in higher education, economics of higher education and university has been done that under each category, according to the conditions and requirements of the country, priority issues have been selected and studied in an interdisciplinary approach.
Higher Education
A. Yadollahi Dehcheshmeh; S. Rajaipour; A. Siadat
Abstract
Considering the impact of fourth generation universities on social, economic and, cultural developments as well as the growth and development of local and regional communities, the main purpose of this article is to study the dimension and develop a fourth-generation university model for Iranian universities. ...
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Considering the impact of fourth generation universities on social, economic and, cultural developments as well as the growth and development of local and regional communities, the main purpose of this article is to study the dimension and develop a fourth-generation university model for Iranian universities. The study was conducted within the framework of a qualitative approach and using the grounded theory strategy. The statistical population included experts and specialists in the field of higher education. Using the purposive sampling method, the required data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 25 experts. The data analysis was performed using MAXQDA software and based on Strauss and Corbin design in three stages of open, axial and selective coding. To validate and review the results, they were given to the interviewees and then using the peer review technique by five experts of higher education, the validity of the research was confirmed. Findings showed that the component of responsible value-creating university as a central phenomenon, transformationalism and adaptability as causal factors, responsible leadership, development of professional skills of human capital and developer curriculum as action strategies, components of specialized and professional policy-making, culture responsible innovation culture and transformational structure were identified as underlying conditions, whereas; academic independence and developer financial models were identified as the intervening components of the fourth generation university. The main consequence of the interaction of all the mentioned components is regional development, which plays a vital role in the development and growth of the local and national community in areas such as: cultural, social, economic and environmental.
Higher Education
Z. Sadoughi
Abstract
The interdependence resulting from globalization and the common crisis individuals face make the cooperation among scholars and researchers of different disciplines inevitable. Since promoting the culture of peace has become a significant concern for researchers, managing the current complicated situation ...
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The interdependence resulting from globalization and the common crisis individuals face make the cooperation among scholars and researchers of different disciplines inevitable. Since promoting the culture of peace has become a significant concern for researchers, managing the current complicated situation needs a peaceful environment. Today, a wide range of studies emphasize the importance of peace believing it can bring calmness, security, stability as well as sustainability. Considering knowledge and awareness as primary concepts in shaping insights, attitudes, and peaceful behavior, the current paper has tried to study the role of a university in promoting the culture of peace. Through a qualitative method and semi-structured interviews with experts in the education domain, a hypothesis was discussed: "the university is an active actor in promoting the culture of peace through its functions (education, research, and social responsibility) and playing a crucial role in diplomacy institution." Based on theoretical and field studies findings, a sustainable university model was found to be an effective one for peace promotion, a university that institutionalizes sustainability in educational, research, and social services.
Higher Education
F. Asghari; A. Abbaspour; H. Rahimian; S. Ghiasi Nodooshan
Abstract
Studying the culture of every community, because of identity characteristics and borders distinguishing different communities, is one of the main requirements for understanding that community. Although researchers from different fields have carried out studies on the culture of university as an important ...
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Studying the culture of every community, because of identity characteristics and borders distinguishing different communities, is one of the main requirements for understanding that community. Although researchers from different fields have carried out studies on the culture of university as an important community, unlike other studies on universities, numerous shortcomings and gaps can be found in these studies, leaving studies on academic culture at an immature stage. The present article aims to analyze concepts, views and theories related to this field in order to deal with these problems. The analysis carried out here shows that failure in the conceptual and methodological development of studies on ‘university culture’, regardless of the complexity of the concepts of culture, organization and university, has three main reasons: failure to distinguish between “culture of university” and “academic culture”, failure to recognize that studies on university culture belong to interdisciplinary fields, and failure to methodologically distinguish between the ‘has approach’ (culture as a variable) and ‘is approach’ (culture as a root metaphor).
Higher Education
E. Habibi; A. Manouchehri; T. Miremadi; R. Mahdi
Abstract
The human capital theory has played an important role in the introduction and effectiveness of higher education in the development process. The purpose of this article is to study the human capital theory from the viewpoint of political thought and extract its policy implications in the realm of higher ...
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The human capital theory has played an important role in the introduction and effectiveness of higher education in the development process. The purpose of this article is to study the human capital theory from the viewpoint of political thought and extract its policy implications in the realm of higher education; accordingly, the implicative narrative theory has been used as a conceptual framework and implication research as a methodology. The findings of this paper suggest that the human capital theory based upon utilitarianism provides theoretical and normative bases of an economic approach and market model in higher education. With an overemphasis on the economic dimension of education and giving priority to economic goals, the human capital theory has ignored many other non-economic and intrinsically important functions and goals of the higher education system. This allows the conclusion that the application of human capital theory in higher education suffers from the same reductionist view and shortcomings of utilitarianism, and does not have sufficient theoretical efficacy to offer a comprehensive and multi-dimensional image of the higher education system in the development process.
Interdisciplinary
A. Yasini; M. Taban
Abstract
Research-oriented environments in universities and higher education institutions play an important role in achieving the goals of research in higher education so that it can be expected that if graduate students interact effectively with supervisors, they will have a high sense of efficacy. The main ...
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Research-oriented environments in universities and higher education institutions play an important role in achieving the goals of research in higher education so that it can be expected that if graduate students interact effectively with supervisors, they will have a high sense of efficacy. The main purpose of this study was to present an explanatory model of students’ research self-efficacy in research oriented environments. In this model, the relationship between research-oriented environments, quality of student-supervisor interactions and research self-efficacy was investigated. In terms of the objectives, the research method was of the applied type and regarding collecting data it was descriptive. M.A and PhD graduate students of public universities of western Iran (Ilam, Razi, Luristan, and Kurdistan) constituted the population of the study, of whom 482 students were selected through stratification sampling method. To collect the data, three valid and reliable questionnaires were used. The data was analyzed using path analysis, and the correlation test showed that there is a significant relationship between research-oriented environments (r=0.61), quality of student-supervisor interaction (r=0.57) and research self-efficacy (r=0.38). The results indicate that the hypothesized model has complete fit with the observed data. In this model, the direct effect of research training environments on the quality of student-supervisor interaction and research self-efficacy and also their indirect effect on research self-efficacy were significant in a positive way.
Interdisciplinary
J. Amiri Farahabadi; M. Abolghasemi; M. Ghahramani
Abstract
According to many experts and scholars of higher education, nowadays the most important factor of inefficiency of higher education policymaking in Iran is nonconformity of policies and decisions with scientific, theoretical and research basics. Policy research is defined as a research process focused ...
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According to many experts and scholars of higher education, nowadays the most important factor of inefficiency of higher education policymaking in Iran is nonconformity of policies and decisions with scientific, theoretical and research basics. Policy research is defined as a research process focused on providing policy options and referred to the practice of policymakers and can contribute to reasonable and rational policymaking in the field of higher education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was pathology of higher education policy research process in Iran. In order to achieve this objective, statistical population of study were institutions and research centers of policy research including those affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (such as Institute of Research and Planning in Higher Education (IRPHE), National Research Institute for Science Policy (NRISP), Institute for Social and Cultural Studies - ISCS) and those not affiliated to the Ministry, as well as informed policymakers in the field of higher education and 14 of them were chosen purposefully to carry out in-depth interviews. The validity of the findings was evaluated by methods of member checking and peer review. To analyze the data, open and axial coding was used. Results revealed the existence of 113 conceptual statements (subcategories) and 14 main categories in terms of five dimensions: contextual & environmental factors, structural factors, functional factors (related to Policy/decision makers in higher education and higher education policy researchers) and interactive & communicational factors which relations between them were drawn in the research model.
Interdisciplinary
M. N. Farahani; H. Khanipour
Abstract
Psychology as a hub science has a good capacity to connect human sciences. Purposes of this article were: Reviewing historical interest among psychologist for interdisciplinary studies; Investigating common issues between psychology and other human sciences; Explaining psychological causes for failures ...
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Psychology as a hub science has a good capacity to connect human sciences. Purposes of this article were: Reviewing historical interest among psychologist for interdisciplinary studies; Investigating common issues between psychology and other human sciences; Explaining psychological causes for failures of interdisciplinary studies in human sciences in Iran; Clarifying role of interdisciplinary institutions for higher education development; Presenting ways for integrating psychologist in interdisciplinary studies in Iran. Interdisciplinary studies need to develop interdisciplinary institutions that consider psychological, social and moral needs of human being and society. In Iran, maladaptive group process in team work, self-serving bias and shortages of interdisciplinary institutions as a social scaffolding for developing of human science may probably explain failures of interdisciplinary cooperation. Development of interdisciplinary institutions which psychology could have an active role needs to alter educational curriculums for psychology, developing new domain of psychology, and adopting discursive perspectives in psychology.
Interdisciplinary
T. Moghimi; H. R. Arasteh; K. Mohammadkhani
Abstract
Science diplomacy is a developing foreign policy and international relationship among nations is affected by science and technology. Because of the major role of higher education in the production and dissemination of science and new technology, this important organization has always been attractive. ...
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Science diplomacy is a developing foreign policy and international relationship among nations is affected by science and technology. Because of the major role of higher education in the production and dissemination of science and new technology, this important organization has always been attractive. This study is an investigation into measurements and factors for developing science diplomacy and the role of higher education as a fundamental factor in foreign diplomacy. This study is of applied type. The researcher-made questionnaire is the tool for data gathering in this paper. The sample in this research is composed of the faculty members of Khajeh Nasir Toosi University. The results show and confirm 3 dimensions and 33 elements for developing science diplomacy and 5 factors and 21 measurements for the role of higher education in developing science diplomacy. The main suggestions for higher education and foreign policy are developing infrastructure, developing international cooperation among universities, and finding solutions for shared challenges especially among neighboring countries.
