Meeting of the Isfahan Province Higher Education Supervision, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance Board with the Executive Board of Kashan University

On the first day of the visit by the Isfahan Province Higher Education Supervision, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance Board to Kashan University, a meeting was held with members of the university’s executive board on Monday, June 7, 2026.

At the meeting, the President of Kashan University presented a report on the university’s activities and stated that the university’s mission is pursued through four main pillars: education, research, entrepreneurship, and the cultivation of enlightened and cultured individuals.

Dr. Behzad Soltani noted that the university bears sole responsibility for implementing this mission and explained that, to support entrepreneurship, an independent unit affiliated with the university has been established outside the main university structure. This unit operates with its own facilities and focuses on entrepreneurial outcomes, including the creation of company-oriented units, the training of entrepreneurial graduates, and the advancement of technology scouting through research projects.

He added that approximately 22 entrepreneurship teams have been formed, each consisting of four to five students, one faculty member, and a vetted business idea, with the objective of developing projects that have viable market potential.

Dr. Soltani described the cultivation of enlightened individuals as the university’s fourth mission and emphasized that this is fundamentally a cultural endeavor. He explained that cultivating enlightened individuals means reducing the prevalence of dishonesty and corruption. Graduates, he stated, should not contribute to theft or deceit, and the goal is to foster intellectual and ethical development from high school through university and into society.

Referring to the “TAD” initiative (Teacher–Student Interaction Program), Dr. Soltani explained that the program establishes a structured framework for interaction between faculty members, students, and graduates. It encourages meetings outside the classroom for non-academic discussions, including consultations on life issues, psychological concerns, marriage, and other social matters, with participation by faculty members and financial support provided by the university.

He noted that this approach requires a transformation in faculty–student relationships, enabling professors to devote more time and attention to the holistic development of students and to supporting their psychological and social well-being.

Also speaking at the meeting, Dr. Mohammad Faramarzi, Secretary of the Isfahan Province Supervision, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance Board, presented a report on higher education in the province. He stated that, according to the latest assessments, 151 educational, research, and independent institutions, along with four public universities, are currently operating across Isfahan Province.

Dr. Faramarzi added that the four major universities in the province enroll approximately 39,620 students. Across all higher education institutions in Isfahan Province, excluding medical sciences, around 222,000 students are enrolled, while the total rises to approximately 250,000 when medical universities are included.

Noting that Isfahan represents the country’s second-largest higher education sector after Tehran, he stated that the four public universities employ approximately 1,600 faculty members and 1,900 staff, while universities across the province collectively employ about 2,300 faculty members and 3,200 staff.

Dr. Faramarzi described the board’s approach to university visits as one of consultation, collaboration, and the sharing of experiences among institutions. He remarked that Kashan University is one of Iran’s well-known and prestigious universities, with notable achievements in national and international rankings and academic evaluation systems.

He identified declining student enrollment and graduate employment challenges as among the most significant issues facing higher education. He noted that in the 2024–2025 academic year, students represented only 3.9 percent of the total population, compared with 9.5 percent in neighboring Turkey, which has a population comparable to Iran’s. He also stated that graduate employment stands at approximately 47 percent.

The Secretary of the Isfahan Province Supervision, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance Board emphasized the need for transformation in higher education governance policies. He noted that this principle is highlighted in Article 97 of Iran’s Seventh Development Plan and argued that addressing current challenges requires the expansion of interdisciplinary academic programs aligned with labor market needs to improve graduate employability.

Dr. Faramarzi also stressed the importance of updating curricula. He stated that educational, research, and technology programs, as well as regulations governing recruitment, tenure conversion, promotion, advancement, comprehensive university management, evaluation and incentive systems, and faculty service requirements, should be redesigned according to a mission-oriented and problem-centered framework that emphasizes mentorship and academic leadership.

The meeting with the university’s executive board was one of several activities included in the four-day visit of the Isfahan Province Higher Education Supervision, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance Board. Other planned meetings involved the Office of the President, the Science and Technology Park, the research, administrative, financial, educational, and cultural-student affairs divisions, as well as the university’s faculties.