The ranking of universities nowadays is in line with the fact that organizing issues in a comparative format could facilitate the selection process.The ranking process has exceeded the macro level of organizations and countries, and is now used in small institutions such as schools, hospitals, and especially universities.
Universities are systematic, multidimensional, and complex organizations that are difficult to rank due to their diverse functions. These institutions lay the ground for the realization of development policies. Training specialized human resources, educating elite citizens, producing and researching knowledge, helping economic welfare, training a new pioneering generation in science and technology, offering social services to society, providing life-long learning opportunities, and developing and publishing scientific findings to achieve sustainable development have been among the main functions served by universities in recent years.
Currently, universities face serious challenges. The increasing development of higher education centers, the unprecedented demand for higher education, creation of virtual education courses, internationalization of higher education, expansion of knowledge-based development, access to more resources, recruitment of better intellectual capital, and status promotion have
revolutionized the structure and content of universities. Now, their primary role of knowledge generation and transfer has evolved into the leadership of all existing knowledge in the social context. To achieve their goals, university and higher education institutes must deal with a complex and multi-faceted setting. Universities always face a highly competitive and
challenging environment nationally and internationally. The identification and evaluation of universities’ performance have always captured research attention. Universities constantly seek to achieve a better status. The attainment of higher ranks seems to be directly related to the admission of more capable students,which could in return improve the quality university attendees.
Ranking can help to understand the status of an institute, compared to others, based on the measurement of a set of criteria and indicators. In this sense, in the end, a ranked list of universities and institutes is drawn up.
If university ranking can accurately measure the values and capabilities of each institute, it will find wide-ranging applications. The ranking outcome can help to identify the most salient strengths and weaknesses of universities, to specify their path of development and progress, and to encourage university students and faculty members to choose a venue which suits their interests. This way, private or state-run institutes can more easily choose universities that more effectively meet their needs while taking into account their problems as well. The ranking list can also aid in providing more effective programs for universities based on social needs and resource allocation. However, these applications can be realized only if the ranking system can duly measure the capabilities of different universities in relation to social needs using a full and precise set of proper criteria; otherwise, the ranking power will negatively affect the behavior and performance of universities.
«Members of the policy-making council»
1. Dr. AbolfazlBagheriFard, Deputy for Education, the MoHME
2. Dr. Gholamreza Hassanzadeh, secretary of the Higher Council of Medical Sciences Planning
3. Dr. JalilKoohpayeh, secretary of the Medical Universities Expansion Council
4. Dr. YunesPanahi, Deputy for Research and Technology, MoHME
5. Dr. Ali Alizadeh, Science and Technology adviser, Deputy for Research and Technology, MoHME
6. Dr. ShaghayeghHaghjooJavanmard, Head of the Center for Research and Technology Development and Coordination
7. Dr. Monir Baradaran Eftekhari, accredited representative of the Deputy for Research, in the program
8. Dr. Abbas Shirojan, Deputy for Student and Cultural Affairs, MoHME
9. Mr. Esmaeel Ajam, Adviser of the Deputy for Student and Cultural Affairs, MoHME
10. Hojjat al-Islam AsgharRakoofian, accredited representative of the Deputy for Student and Cultural Affairs, in the program
11. Dr. Ehsan Sharifipour, Head of NASR
12. Dr. Soleiman Ahmadi, Deputy for Research, NASR
13. Dr. Sara Shahbazi, in charge of Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences Ranking Program
«Members of RAJA Scientific Committee»
1. Secretary of the Supreme Council of Planning - Dr. Gholamreza Hassanzadeh
2. Secretary of the University Expansion Council-Dr. JalilKoohpayehzadeh
3. In charge of Innovation and Development in the Education Secretariat, ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Science – Dr. Akbar Bolvardi
4. Faculty member of Kerman University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Majid FasihiHarandi
5. Faculty member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Roghayyeh Gandomkar
6. Manager of the Medical Education Research and Development Center, University of Medical Sciences of the Iranian Armed Forces (AJA) - Dr. AlirezaShahriari
7. Faculty member of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Nikoo Yamani
8. Faculty member of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences - Dr. SiavashVaziri
9. Faculty member of the Virtual University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Nooshin Kohan
10. Adviser and special assistant to the Minister of Health and Medical Education - Dr. Ali Namaki
11. Deputy for Education, Sirjan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. MahmoudrezaMasoodi
12. Deputy for Education, Abadan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. NabiJomezadeh
13. Deputy for Education, AJA University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Seyyed Amir Moosavi
14. Deputy for Education, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Jamal AkhavanMoghaddam
15. Deputy for Education, Kashan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Fatemeh Sadat Ghoreishi
16. Deputy for Education, Birjand University of Medical Sciences - Dr. FarshidAbedi
17. Deputy for Education, Golestan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. TaghiAmiriani
18. Deputy for Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences - Dr. SeyyedFarshadAllameh
19. Deputy for Education, Iran University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Khalil GhasemiFalavarjani
20. Deputy for Education, ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Mohamad Mehdi Sadoughi
21. Deputy for Education, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences - Dr. AliehZamani
22. Deputy for Education, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences - Dr. GholamrezaFaridAlaee
23. Deputy for Education, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Hossein EmadMomtaz
24. Deputy for Education, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences - Dr. ShahnamAskarpour
25. Deputy for Education, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Mohsen Razzaghi
26. Deputy for Education, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. FazlollahAyatollahi
27. Deputy for Education, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences - Dr. GholamrezaMasoomi
28. Deputy for Education, Kerman University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Mohammad Khaksari Haddad
29. Deputy for Education, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences - Dr. AbolfazlKhajavi Rad
30. Faculty member of ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Ehsan Sharifipour
31. Faculty member of ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Soleiman Ahmadi
32. Faculty member of shahrekord University of Medical Sciences - Dr. Sara Shahbazi
