Leading Higher Education in Iran during COVID- 19 Pandemic: Reporting the Policies and Progresses

Background: After the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictions assigned by the National Committee on Combating Coronavirus (NCCC), the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (MSRT) set up committees to trace and analyze the outcomes of the pandemic. Objectives: This paper aimed to explain the policies, programs, and activities executed by MSRT and analyze the points of strength and weakness. Methods: In this report, the MSRT experience during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Iran higher education (HE) system is briefly reported by referring to pieces of evidence documented by MSRT and analyzing strengths and, predicting the outcomes toward the future. The evidence was analyzed descriptively. Results: The policies, plans, and actions were based on three key policies including participation, adaptation, and tolerance. Conclusion: Iranian HE system has changed in many aspects during the recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MSRT instantly reorganized its activities to coordinate its decisions with NCCC.