Pathology of a Sabbatical of Communication with Society in the Fields of Humanities: A Case Study of the Relationship between Humanities Professors and Think Tanks

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Thought, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

Objectives: The sabbatical opportunity project of communication with society and industry is considered a legal requirement for university professors. Considering the newness and necessity of this course, ignoring its possible damages may prevent the realization of the planned goals. These damages are very serious and ponderable in the fields of Humanities. In addition, now in the country, various Think Tanks solve social problems and are trying to use scientific achievements along with the experiences of other countries to provide solutions. However, a deep and structured relationship between university faculty members and Think Tanks has not been formed. The purpose of this study is to diagnose this opportunity in general and to identify the damage to communication between Humanities professors and Think Tanks.
Materials and Methods: The nature of this research is qualitative, exploratory, and interpretive, according to its purpose. Using the mixed exploratory research design and the narrative research strategy, this article tried to examine the reasons for the lack of communication between these two groups in the form of a sabbatical opportunity of communication with the society from the perspective of the two sides and finally provide a solution to remove the obstacles. For this purpose, 50 unstructured interviews were conducted with the faculty members included in this opportunity and experts and managers of different Think Tanks, and the most important damages were extracted from the perspective of each party.
Discussion and Conclusions: The unknown nature of this course, the ambiguities of the internal regulations of the universities, the failure of operational units to welcome applicants, and the link between changing the status and promotion of faculty members with study opportunities are among the inherent harms of this course. In addition, the newness of the Think Tanks concept, the difference between its functions and the institution of science, the uncertainties in the stability of Think Tanks and their political affiliations, as well as the discursive difference between university professors and the environment of Think Tanks, are among the most important reasons for the lack of interests for professors to connect with Think Tanks. On the other hand, low attention to the application of knowledge by professors, the nature of the opinion of some Humanities fields, the existence of negative mental records of some professors, and the lack of university Think Tanks are among the most important challenges in the environment of Think Tanks concerning professors. In general, the most important reason for the lack of communication between these two sectors is the lack of sufficient recognition and misunderstanding on both sides and to solve it, it is suggested to create a context for frequent communication, as well as to define the context of cooperation and common interests between these two groups.

Keywords

References

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