QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL DEMAND FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE COUNTRY’S YOUTH IN ENGINEERING FIELDS

One of the significant challenges facing the higher education system in recent years has been the declining social demand for engineering studies. This downward trend is also observed in other countries, even those with labor markets potentially capable of absorbing competent engineering graduates. This article examines the reasons behind the declining appeal of engineering education in several selected countries and then focuses on the state of social demand for this field of study in Iran. The study's findings indicate that the proportion of engineering students in the overall student population, as well as in the youth population of the country, has been declining since 2010. This downward trend is observed across all educational levels in engineering, including associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, sequentially over time. Moreover, this trend is not confined to a single engineering discipline but is evident in six selected major engineering fields. A comparison of the situation of engineering graduates in Iran with those in other countries also points to ineffective policymaking in the country's higher education system over the past two decades. The article also discusses the causes, consequences, and youth strategies in response to this phenomenon, using thematic analysis of the conducted studies.