Strategic Analysis of Entrepreneur University of Applied Sciences and Technology in Agricultural Sector

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
H. Saffari
H. Farhadian
H. Sadighi
S. Choobchian
E. Abbasi
Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
Among the key strategies in higher education is to prioritize the development of the entrepreneurial university. In this regard, the University of Applied Sciences and Technology (UAST) is one of the main institutions involved in vocational higher education, especially in the agricultural sector, which aims to help graduates acquire the knowledge and skills they will require. To this end, the university needs to plan for and develop entrepreneurial educations in its training system. Accordingly, the present study aimed to strategically analyze entrepreneur UAST in the agricultural sector. The statistical sample included 19 individuals, who were presidents, deputies, and managers of a university or managers of agricultural applied science and technology centers. After interviews and reaching theoretical saturation, the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of the agricultural applied sciences and technology centers were specified. The results of the SWOT matrix show that the aggressive strategy (SO) is the most appropriate strategy for the agricultural centers of UAST. The most important strategies within this approach included ‘organizing and developing agricultural applied sciences and technology programs in a balanced manner’; ‘designing and implementing a province-wide educational need assessment model for the agricultural sector’; ‘developing agricultural modular curricula and getting involved in new labor market potentials with the aid of the executive agencies’; ‘enhancing the quality of agricultural training components’; ‘developing financial resources and the use of the existing potentials of the agricultural sector with no financial burden on the government’; ‘basing decisions on research’; and ‘setting policies based on the modern agricultural and natural resources’ technology’.

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 24, Issue 3
May and June 2022
Pages 521-535