An Overview of the Role and Place of Educational Programs (With an Emphasis on Higher Education) in Continuous/Sustainable Development

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Author

Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objectives: The education system of every society, especially at the level of higher education through the education of specialized human resources and capital, plays a fundamental and significant role in the continuous/sustainable development of every society in various dimensions such as transferring, making, and development of knowledge, technology, economic, cultural, social, health development, and expansion of interactions and relations at the national and international level, etc. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of educational programs with an emphasis on the higher education system in achieving the goals of continuous/sustainable development.
Materials and Methods: In this study, the library and review method was used with a critical approach, and some related documents and sources regarding the concepts and goals of continuous/sustainable development and related approaches and educational and higher education policies and programs were reviewed.
Discussion and Conclusions: The subject under discussion has two important dimensions or variables, including educational programs as independent variables and continuous/sustainable development as dependent variables. Each of these concepts covers a wide range of dimensions and levels. The educational program is a comprehensive concept that every researcher should determine its limits and gaps based on the topic or issue and his field of study and discuss it accordingly. Theorists of human capital believe that the basis of continuous and sustainable development in different dimensions is realized by investing in education. Numerous researches have explained the effectiveness of investing in education in different countries on economic-social growth and development. Although in some studies, a considerable gap between investment in education and other dimensions of development such as economic and technological growth, culture, health, environment, etc. has been expressed but it has not led to a change in the rule and principles of the mentioned relationship. The effectiveness of educational programs in the matter of development requires the existence of a systemic, strategic, flexible, and comprehensive approach. Therefore, development is a systemic, inclusive, and dependent thing and it cannot happen only in one sector. Therefore, we can imagine the term life cycle for development that all its parts are connected and when a ring is separated from it, the whole cycle will be disturbed. Also by delving into the relevant texts, it was concluded that from another point of view, the term continuous development is better than sustainable development; it shows its nature which includes a kind of dynamics, transformative, and complete ones. With the same justification throughout the text, in this article, continuous development is introduced as synonymous with sustainable development.

Keywords

References

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