Iranian Higher Education
1- PhD student in educational management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Educational Management and Human Resources Development, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran ,d.ghoroneh@um.ac.ir
2- Professor, Department of Educational Management and Human Resources Development, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran ,
Abstract: (10 Views)
Objective: Universities are facing increasing challenges in the third millennium, and solving such challenges requires professional managers. If the professionalism of university presidents is neglected in any way, it will lead to a decrease in the quality of universities. Accordingly, the present study aimed to systematically review studies related to professionalism and conduct a comparative study of the professionalism of presidents of top universities in Iran and selected countries.
Method: To achieve this goal, while utilizing the systematic review document research method to review 109 scientific documents in the field of professionalism, a comparative survey method was used to conduct a comparative study of the scientific-executive resumes of the presidents of top universities in the world (MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Imperial College London, and the National University of Singapore) and in Iran (University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Ferdowsi, Shiraz University, and Isfahan University). These universities were selected based on a purposive sampling method.
Results: The results obtained indicate that six key themes can be inferred from the analysis of scientific resources in this field: components of professionalism, factors affecting it, redefining the concept of professionalism, linking professionalism with other concepts, evaluating professionalism, the risk of university commercialization, and ways out of it. There is also a significant difference between the selection and appointment methods of university presidents in Iran and around the world, and the professionalism of university presidents is on a continuum, with managers at one end having the maximum experience and specialized knowledge required in the field of higher education management, and managers with minimal managerial experience and expertise in this field at the other end.
Conclusion: The results indicate that professionalism in university management is a multidimensional construct including academic qualifications, managerial experience, participation in professional networks, university leadership ability, and merit-based selection mechanisms. Also, a comparison of the presidents of selected universities in Iran and in other countries showed that in the world's top universities, diverse managerial experiences, presence in national and international institutions, and participatory selection processes play an important role in the appointment of university managers; while in Iran, the appointment of presidents is mainly based on centralized administrative mechanisms. Accordingly, establishing a merit-based selection system, designing a professional path for university management, and developing specialized higher education leadership training can help promote the professionalism of university management
Method: To achieve this goal, while utilizing the systematic review document research method to review 109 scientific documents in the field of professionalism, a comparative survey method was used to conduct a comparative study of the scientific-executive resumes of the presidents of top universities in the world (MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Imperial College London, and the National University of Singapore) and in Iran (University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Ferdowsi, Shiraz University, and Isfahan University). These universities were selected based on a purposive sampling method.
Results: The results obtained indicate that six key themes can be inferred from the analysis of scientific resources in this field: components of professionalism, factors affecting it, redefining the concept of professionalism, linking professionalism with other concepts, evaluating professionalism, the risk of university commercialization, and ways out of it. There is also a significant difference between the selection and appointment methods of university presidents in Iran and around the world, and the professionalism of university presidents is on a continuum, with managers at one end having the maximum experience and specialized knowledge required in the field of higher education management, and managers with minimal managerial experience and expertise in this field at the other end.
Conclusion: The results indicate that professionalism in university management is a multidimensional construct including academic qualifications, managerial experience, participation in professional networks, university leadership ability, and merit-based selection mechanisms. Also, a comparison of the presidents of selected universities in Iran and in other countries showed that in the world's top universities, diverse managerial experiences, presence in national and international institutions, and participatory selection processes play an important role in the appointment of university managers; while in Iran, the appointment of presidents is mainly based on centralized administrative mechanisms. Accordingly, establishing a merit-based selection system, designing a professional path for university management, and developing specialized higher education leadership training can help promote the professionalism of university management
Type of article: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/07/25 | Accepted: 2026/07/1 | ePublished ahead of print: 2026/08/7
Received: 2025/07/25 | Accepted: 2026/07/1 | ePublished ahead of print: 2026/08/7
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