Socio-Cultural Strategy

Socio-Cultural Strategy

Institutional Linkage Strategies among Science, Government, and Society for Resolving the Paradox between Expanding Scientific Production and Limited Social Impact in the Humanities of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Associate Professor, Department of Political Studies, Faculty of History and Political Studies, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran.
10.22034/scs.2026.574916.1795
Abstract
Despite the significant quantitative expansion of higher education and scholarly output in the humanities over recent decades, these developments have not proportionately enhanced governance quality, public policymaking, or the resolution of social problems in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This situation suggests that the principal challenge lies not in the shortage of knowledge production, but rather in the institutional disconnection between science, the state, and society and the consequent inability to translate knowledge into policy, institutions, and social action.The present study aims to explain the dimensions of this institutional disjunction and to propose an indigenous model for reconstructing the relationship between science, government, and society. The research adopts a qualitative approach and is conducted through documentary analysis and conceptual analysis. Data were collected from academic books, policy documents, and scholarly publications and were interpreted through theoretical inference.The findings indicate that the limited social effectiveness of the humanities results from three interrelated institutional gaps. Within the scientific sphere, the dominance of quantitative approaches, weak problem orientation, and limited interaction with decision-making institutions have reduced societal impact. Within the governmental sphere, insufficient mechanisms for evidence-informed policymaking and knowledge translation have constrained the use of scientific capacities. Within the societal sphere, declining social authority of knowledge and weak feedback mechanisms have undermined the relationship between science and society.Based on these findings, the study proposes an indigenous framework consisting of five interrelated components: professional wisdom, affirmative problematization, shared epistemic identity, knowledge translation, and the redefinition of the functions of scientific institutions. Organized within a cyclical process extending from social reality to social action, this framework seeks to institutionalize continuous interaction among science, government, and society. The proposed model may contribute to strengthening knowledge-based policymaking, enhancing the effectiveness of the humanities, and improving governance capacities in addressing complex social challenges in Iran.
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  • Receive Date 14 February 2026
  • Revise Date 26 July 2026
  • Accept Date 28 July 2026