Reflections on the Role of the Scientific Community in Science Governance

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran

2 PhD Candidate, Department of Cultural Communications, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

In recent decades, science governance has become one of the central areas of public policymaking. However, Iran’s experience indicates that, despite the considerable accumulation of official documents and institutional structures, the science and technology system continues to face profound challenges, including the erosion of the scientific community, the emigration of highly skilled professionals, and a decline in research quality. Employing an analytical–argumentative approach and drawing on a review of the literature and previous research on science governance, this article argues that the fundamental source of inefficiency in science governance in Iran lies in the absence of a cohesive, independent, and self-critical scientific community. Effective science governance cannot be achieved without the formation of such a community, while attempts to replace scientific institutions with bureaucratic mechanisms result in the production of formalistic and ineffective scholarship. By elucidating the close relationship between successful science governance and the existence of a sustainable scientific community, the article proposes a conceptual framework comprising problem redefinition, the separation of bureaucracy from science, the strengthening of scholarly dialogue, and the relative autonomy of scientific institutions.
 

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 01 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 September 2025

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