Higher education policy and knowledge commodification in the 2000s

In this article, the policymaking of higher education in the 2000s in Iran and the commodification of knowledge are discussed. The main indicator of the commodification of knowledge is defined in the type of financial relationship between the student and the university. The more the university's funding and expenses are financed by the student, the more commoditization has occurred. The research method for this study was historical-documentary, and data was collected by referring to first-hand or second-hand sources. The findings of this study showed: During the 2000s, the amount of student enrollment in the tuition fee section has increased by 146%. While in the free tuition section, only 32% increase in the amount of student recruitment has taken place. In explaining the causes of commodification of knowledge in the 2000s, there are two main reasons that together explain the situation. The first factor is higher education and privatization policymaking, and downsizing of the government after the revolution. The second factor is the increase in the age range of applicants for higher education in the 2000s.