Humanities and Social Sciences

Specialized Office of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts, ACECR

The core concern and central focus of the specialized domain of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts at ACECR is based on:

Establishing the presence, role, and position of the specialized domain within the equations and coordinates of the country's development system and planning.
Through the formulation of models for Iran's progress and excellence and the presentation of alternative strategies derived from them.
With the goal of playing an effective role in the country's development governance system.

It should be stated that this specialized domain, as an established and institutionalized scientific network across the country's geographical expanse, operates in the form of one research institute (Humanities and Social Studies), 4 research centers (Development and Planning, Tourism, Development Studies, and Physical Development), 42 research groups, and 28 specialized service centers. It is engaged in gathering, analyzing, explaining, and providing solutions for the problems and issues facing society and the governance system.

The main strategies of this domain are based on networking research activities and structures. To date, five major themes have been centrally established, emphasizing the Second Phase of the Revolution Statement, upstream development documents, the country's system of issues, and also considering the accumulated knowledge and research of the research groups. The network program for existing research groups has been specifically defined around these themes. The five major themes are:

Informal Settlements and Inefficient Fabric
Quality of Social Policy
Transparency and Conflict of Interest
Knowledge-Based Business
Sea-Based Development

Achievements of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts Domain

Since making the plans and projects of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts domain applicable has been on the Office's agenda, some of the most important projects implemented in the last three years, which are currently either undergoing contracts for new phases or action strategies being formulated for the relevant authorities, are as follows:

Mandate from the First Vice President for identifying and monitoring situations and instances of conflict of interest in the country's executive bodies, and implementation of its first phase in four sectors: "Health, Social Security and Retirement Funds, Foreign Trade, Agriculture, and Livestock Affairs," commissioned by the General Inspection Organization of Iran.
Implementation of the macro-project for designing and establishing the Comprehensive System for Measuring and Monitoring Administrative Health, and launching the Smart Administrative Health Observatory, commissioned by the General Inspection Organization.
Execution of two waves of the project investigating the status of social development indicators in the country (at the county and provincial levels), commissioned by the Social Affairs Organization.
Execution of the first wave of the National Victimization Survey in Iran, commissioned by the Social Affairs Organization.
Preparation and formulation of the Document for Empowering Informal Settlements in Iran and obtaining approval from the Council of Ministers.

Detailed Report on the Topics of Research Group Network Programs under the Five Major Themes

1) Major Theme: Informal Settlements and Inefficient Fabric

Formulating a program for enhancing the sustainability of environmental quality in informal settlements in Metropolitan Mashhad: Urban Planning Group, Tourism Research Center.
Developing community-based tourism with the aim of empowering local communities: Sociology Group, Tourism Research Center.
Designing and implementing a comprehensive model for community-based development of informal settlements in Kermanshah: Sociology Group, Physical Development Research Center.
Integrated analysis of the capacity of central urban fabrics (emphasizing technological developments for business development): Regional Planning Group, Research Institute.
Developing a framework for a comprehensive program to foresee and prevent the formation and expansion of informal settlements in Iran: Urban Landscape Group, Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
Studies on the spatial organization of the southern region of the Caspian Sea: Regional Studies Group, Environmental Research Center.

2) Major Theme: Social Policy

Comprehensive Map of the Country's Social Development (Formulating a social development action strategy based on existing imbalances at provincial and county levels): Social Development Group, Central Province.
Patterns, programs, and actions for enhancing social participation: Social and Cultural Studies Group, Isfahan City.
Social Capital of Economic Enterprises (Status assessment, providing an enhancement model, and model application): Sociology of Development Group, Development Studies Research Center.
Formulating a vision for participatory management of drinking water resources in East Azerbaijan Province: Sociology of Development Group, Development and Planning Research Center.
Data-based formulation of strategies, policies, and laws related to the family institution (marriage, childbearing, intergenerational relations, divorce): Family Studies Group, Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
Issues and characteristics of adolescence and youth: Intergenerational Relations Group, Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
Policy research on aging in Iran: Social Psychology Group, Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.

3) Major Theme: Transparency and Conflict of Interest

Implementation of the macro-project of the Management Group at the Institute of Humanities and Social Studies, aimed at:
- Designing and establishing the Comprehensive System for Measuring and Monitoring Administrative Health (Smart Administrative Health Observatory).
- Designing and establishing the System for Measuring and Monitoring Transparency.
Implementation of the macro-project and network program of the Business Assessment and Improvement Group at the Development Studies Research Center, aimed at:
- Identifying situations and instances of conflict of interest.
- Designing and establishing the System for Measuring and Monitoring Conflict of Interest.
- Launching the process for identifying, managing, monitoring, and evaluating conflict of interest in the country's executive bodies.

4) Major Theme: Business and Production

Investigating obstacles to production and investment and providing solutions (with an emphasis on smartening the economy): Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
Monitoring the status of the knowledge-based business system and formulating a roadmap for their sustainable development: Knowledge-Based Business Group, Tarbiat Modares.
Stabilizing micro, small, and medium enterprises: Cultural Management Group, Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
Integrated analysis of the capacity of central urban fabrics (with an emphasis on technological developments for business development): Urban and Regional Planning Group, Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
Developing foreign tourism in Mashhad: Demand-side economics approach: Tourism Economics Group, Tourism Research Center.
Developing the system for linking the supply and demand of the country's labor market.