The mayor of Qom has said that in order for university education to be effective, university research should focus on society’s needs.
Dr. Seyyed Morteza Saghaiannejad made the remarks in a meeting which was held on Hazrat Masoumeh (AS) University of Qom on the occasion of Research Week.
Saghaiannejad touched upon the defects of the country’s educational system, saying in this system, students are not taught the necessary skills for living, working, and being entrepreneurs.
Stressing the need to pay attention to competencies in doing research, he noted that much of the basic academic research is now not related to the actual needs of society.
He also criticized insufficient budget allocation to the research sector, and stated that at present, much of the university budget is spent on current affairs, and not enough money is allocated to research projects.
The mayor finally highlighted the need for change in the country’s educational and research structure.
Furthermore, attending the 19th public session of the Qom City Council on Tuesday, Dr. Saghaiannejad emphasized the significant role the educational system plays in institutionalizing research among students.
Iran is marking its national research and technology week which started from December 11 and will continue until December 17.