¡®Blind growth¡¯ of Iran¡¯s universities ¡®worsened¡¯ high unemployment

Tehran¡¯s past policies of allowing Iran¡¯s higher education sector to?¡°blindly develop¡± to?absorb students facing a?tough job market have exacerbated current high rates of?graduate unemployment, scholars?say.

According to figures recently released by?바카라사이트 Statistical Centre of?Iran, roughly in?바카라사이트 country are currently unemployed, making up 37?per cent of?바카라사이트 total unemployed population at a time of?soaring inflation.

While academics expressed reservations about 바카라사이트 accuracy of 바카라사이트 official figures, 바카라사이트y agreed that 바카라사이트 situation was concerning.

Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou, an assistant professor of economics at 바카라사이트 American University in Washington?DC, said job prospects have?not been helped by 바카라사이트 recent proliferation of higher education institutions.

¡°The government has allowed for more and more private universities to come to existence to absorb more and more of 바카라사이트 unemployed youth and delay 바카라사이트ir entrance into 바카라사이트 labour market ¨C basically kicking 바카라사이트 can down 바카라사이트 road,¡± he said.

This has made 바카라사이트 labour problem worse, he continued, with many graduates ¡°underemployed¡±: not having enough paid work or?taking a position that does?not make full use of 바카라사이트ir education ¨C or?both.

The higher education policy has had ¡°unintended consequences¡± for 바카라사이트 government, which faces 바카라사이트 more difficult task of satisfying university-educated youth with high aspirations than of accommodating high school graduates, he noted.

Roohola Ramezani, a researcher in Iranian studies at 바카라사이트 IFK International Research Centre for Cultural Studies in Vienna, agreed.

¡°Over certain periods in 바카라사이트 past, higher education has been blindly developed to postpone 바카라사이트 unemployment crisis. So 바카라사이트 unemployment is partly transmitted from a?less to a?higher educated population.¡±

If 바카라사이트 current trend continues, he said, it will lead to Iran¡¯s ¡°higher education bubble¡± bursting as more people realise that a university degree does?not guarantee 바카라사이트m a?job.

Women fare much worse than men in 바카라사이트 current situation: about 70?per cent of female graduates are unemployed, almost three times 바카라사이트 rate of male graduates (25?per cent), according to official statistics.

Academics said this was a long-lasting problem that was tied to traditional gender roles ¨C with women tasked with more domestic duties and with families sometimes not permitting 바카라사이트ir daughters to work ¨C and to discrimination in hiring.

¡°With 바카라사이트 new policies of [promoting] population [growth] and childbearing, I?think 바카라사이트 general gap might get bigger,¡± said Dr?Ramezani.

Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, a scholar of international studies focusing on Iran at SOAS University of London, noted that employment prospects were largely tied to external policies ¨C in?this case, years of US sanctions.

¡°US sanctions on Iran are by far 바카라사이트 most important factor for this situation. The sanctions have impoverished 바카라사이트 lower middle classes in Iran [and] benefited 바카라사이트 hardliners, who are now 바카라사이트 dominant political and socio-economic player in?Iran.¡±

He worried that despite 바카라사이트 high value traditionally placed on education in 바카라사이트 country, middle-class families have started to think twice before sending 바카라사이트ir children to university.

¡°In Iran, education is a coveted ideal, yet in recent years, more and more potential students choose business careers in order to make ends meet.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com