Journal of Iranian Higher Education
Year:2009 | Volume:2 | Issue:2|Papers Count:14

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is a criterion by which correct and optimum usage of production factors and the degree of achievement is described. Nowadays, both parametric and non-parametric methods are used for measuring efficiency and productivity. In order to create competition among the state large universities for productivity improvement, the efficiency and productivity of 24 large state universities has been studied. In selecting and determining important inputs and outputs the experiences of the field's experts were used. Depending on the universities conditions, secondary model of nonparametric methods such as CCR and BCC were used and total productivity changes was measured by Malmquist Index. The findings indicated that from technical point of view and when the rate of return is unchanged, universities can be classified into three categories. Tehran University, Universities of Kashan, Shiraz, Isfahan, Shahid Beheshti, Guilan and Ahvaz University of Shahid Chamran were recognized as the highly efficient institutions. Additionally, the extent of technical efficiency of nine universities was under the average. Also examining of results correlation showed that the main determining factors for productivity changes is advancement of technological efficiency. In brief if universities are about to increase their productivity, they should have a strategic plan.

Universities are looking for various methods to increase the source share of their private incomes such as research commercialization. Creating and expanding technological transfer offices in universities whose duty is to guide and facilitate the transmission of commercialized knowledge derived from different kinds of intellectual properties is a shifting policy in this respect. This research has been done in order to determine the viewpoints of faculty members and authorities of industry relation offices about commercialization methods and their possible barriers to be able to help planners to develop it well. In this cross-sectional survey study, activists in the field of technological transmission were interviewed. Samples were selected based on proportional stratified sampling method and the views of relevant experienced specialists were used to design questions.The results clearly demonstrated that the authorities of industry relation offices evaluated the role of the offices in the process of commercialization more fundamental than that of faculty members. Additionally 78% of interviewees believed that commercialization success depends on the effective and active interaction of these offices with other relevant units in universities. From the respondent points of view, priorities of commercialization methods includes: joint research contracts (41%), development of commercial enterprises (27%), patents (22%) and providing consulting services (10%), respectively. Both challenges of inattentiveness to entrepreneurship culture and the contradiction between commercialization and traditional responsibilities of universities in the case of education and basic researches have been mentioned fairly equal.

Nowadays the role of knowledge in national development and prosperity generally and role the status of technical-engineering field in national innovation system particularly has been recognized importantly. Hence, in order to utilize strengths and the country’s scientific and technological competitive advantages, it is necessary that based on changing internal and external factors, national research and knowledge creation strategies in technical-engineering fields of studies be designed and implemented. Based on general model of strategic management and using documentary, qualitative meta- analysis of previous studies and SWOT analysis of knowledge creation system, strategies in 14 main areas in the studied field have been designed. This article has highlighted and presented some of the strategies in this regard including determining Perspective desired aims, restructuring and organizing management of academic system, developing software and hardware strengths of academic system, developing interaction with international academic centers, developing the efficiency of academic system, fostering the university-industry relation, supporting commercialization of research outcomes and developing enterprises role in research. Additionally the findings identified and suggested some other particular research and knowledge creation strategies for technical-engineering fields which include developing risky investment in new technologies, paying attention to researchers, academic autonomous and freedom, regulating business law based on empowering and applying academic potentials, purposeful allocating of research funds and communicating to Iranians living abroad.

The purpose of this article is to study efficiency of academic departments in Humanities Complex of Yazd University. Using a systematic approach, initially performance inputs and outputs were defined for efficiency of academic departments. Then, using TOPSIS technique in a Fuzzy space, their importance was measured. By developing mathematical models and using DEA combined with AHP, the final points of efficiency in the instructional and research dimensions were estimated. In addition, the studied sixteen academic departments were categorized in four levels according to their instructional and research points and the distribution type of these points. The findings showed that those departments which been have concerned about instruction has better final points than those focusing on research activities.

Providing information from real situation of society plays the central role in educational and research based systems. Educational systems and research programs in the modern world are updated through using such information. Based on the criteria aimed in every system, the information may gather in national or international scales. After gathering the necessary information, they will be processed and converted to educational packages and key research questions. Information gathering and processing will be further discussed in this article through comparison of American and Chinese system with a case study performed by the author in music departments of UK Universities. Educational packages provided by this system supply functional educations, as questions provided for researches will result in practical outputs. This also results in job satisfaction and consequently developing the social health.

Since universities have responsibility for experts training in societies, they have a critical role in entrepreneurship development and fostering their students’ entrepreneurial treats. The article therefore, tries to examine and compare these treats in faculties of Semnan University. The outcomes of this study can be used when universities entrepreneurship courses are designed. Although descriptive statistics indicates that there is no a meaningful difference between students' entrepreneurial treats in different faculties, but findings on different treats showed that there are some differences between faculties in this regard. Additionally, U-Manwittney test suggested that there is a meaningful difference between student’s entrepreneurial treats in terms of their faculties. Moreover, Friedman variance analysis showed that different faculties regarding their students’ entrepreneurial treats have performed differently, accordingly students from Faculty of Science, Humanities, Engineering, Psychology Art, and Veterinary Medicine have been orderly.

Virtual education has changed the methods of teaching and learning in higher education. In the virtual education, faculty members and students can meet each other and talk or work together outside traditional classes and office spaces. The paper therefore, aims to investigate issues of developing virtual education in agricultural higher education. Using a descriptive–survey approach, a questionnaire was developed to gather the data. The research samples included 80 persons were academic members of agricultural faculties who were selected by applying proportional stratified sampling technique. Data were analyzed by using SPSS/WIN software and descriptive and inferential methods were used for the data analysis. The findings indicated that four major factors including financial and technical, human resources, administrating and cultural dilemmas, explained 58.17% of variances of issues of developing virtual education. Therefore, in order to apply virtual education method in teaching and learning process effectively, agricultural higher education institutions should pay attention to these issues appropriately.