Path Dependence in The Formation of Higher Education Governance in Iran

The aim of this study is to investigate the formation of the current governance of the Iranian higher education system (state-oriented and centralized) through the theory of path dependence after the Islamic Revolution.

In this study, using a qualitative approach and using the historical analysis strategy, the formation of the governance of the Iranian higher education system was examined. The method of data collection in the study was the library form. Thus, scientific documents related to how the government and the higher education system were run in the period after the Islamic Revolution were examined.

Examination of the reproduction mechanisms in the process of path dependence showed that a self-reinforcing sequence has led to the formation of government-oriented governance in the Iranian higher education system. These sequences were as follows: 1. The occurrence of the Islamic Revolution, war, and the adoption of a state-oriented approach, 2. The failure of policies related to structural reforms, and 3. Weakness in the implementation of laws related to the autonomy of universities.

In general, it can be said that the Islamic Revolution and the occurrence of the imposed war as two main Critical Junctures have led to the formation of government-oriented and centralized governance in Iran's higher education system, and with the failure of structural reform policies this type of governance has also been strengthened, so that it is not easy to reverse it now.