How has the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Iran contributed to agricultural development over time?

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Hoda Izadi 1
Seyed Mahmood Hosseini 1
Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam 2
1 Department of Economics and Development, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
The Third Mission has gained more attention worldwide in higher education but developing world universities face multiple entrenched barriers that prevent them from engaging with their communities. In Iran agricultural faculties still wrestle with building lasting partnerships with farming communities and the industrial sector. The aim of this research is to pinpoint, confirm and assess the elements of the Third Mission while also probing the long‑standing gap that separates the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Tehran from the broader agricultural community using a longitudinal analysis that spans from 1992 to 2022. This study adopted a sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach. TM indicators were first identified via a three-round Delphi process involving 16 experts from academia, research, industry, and agriculture. In the second phase, six dimensions were validated through a 20-item questionnaire completed by 160 randomly selected faculty members (from a population of 232), with data analyzed using SmartPLS 3. Finally, a panel of 30 senior faculty members assessed TM performance over time using a 0–10 rating scale. Findings showed that during the second decade the overall Third Mission index rose by roughly 18 % only to ease back by about 2 % in the third decade. By contrast commercialization and entrepreneurial pursuits leapt by 63 % from the first to the third decade. That swing appears to signal a loosening of ties with the farming community even as market‑oriented and entrepreneurial initiatives gain momentum. The validated model provides an empirical foundation for reshaping incentive structures and steering university policy toward sustainable agriculture and rural development.

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 November 2025