The specialized meeting of “the role of universities and non-profit higher education institutions in the development of purposeful, need-based, and skill-based education: experiences, challenges, and solutions”, from the series of meetings related to the "National Congress of purposeful, skill-based, and need-based education", was held on May 7, 2023 (Ordebesht 17, 1402) at Sadjad University. In this meeting, 40 experts took part in two different forms of in-person participation and the virtual one.

This meeting was held in continuation of the meeting occurring on April 30, 2023 (Ordibehesht 10, 1402) and its key objective was to seek the suggestions of academicians, provide solutions for the deviations and challenges in the implementation of the program of having purposeful, need-based, and skill-based education.

In this meeting, the general challenge was mentioned. This challenge included the following cases:

The first challenge: the precise definition of need-based and skill-based higher education

The second challenge: paucity of attention to and doubts about the validity of needs analysis

The third challenge: going to extremes (excess and deficiency) in market needs and having hesitation in the validity of market diagnosis

The fourth challenge: ignoring international needs

The fifth challenge: revising the perceptions of vocational higher education

Following this, some key ways to deal with these challenges were presented. These solutions are as follow:

Making the understanding of higher education in Iran closer to what has been accepted in the world

Responding to the needs from the beginning of the first level of education (primary level) to the beginning of the tertiary level of education (university level)

Focusing on life skills including the ability to live, the capability to live in society with other individuals, and the capacity to do things properly.

Revising the curriculum and the role of universities in skill-based education and in creating opportunities to make the students ready for acquiring new skills.

Considering the subject in a systematic way, giving a precise definition of the goal based on the need, presenting a mechanism for correctly defining the needs of skill-based training, and introducing key ways to implement need-based, skill-based education.