Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education
The Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education (IRPHE) is a government-affiliated research institute under Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, serving as the ministry's official think tank and sole national reference for higher education statistics, policy research, and graduate employment tracking across 2,680 universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersTehran, Iran
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education does
The Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education (IRPHE / موسسه پژوهش و برنامه ریزی آموزش عالی) is a government-affiliated research institute (think tank) operating under Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, founded in 1969 and re-established under its current name in 1990. Headquartered in Tehran, IRPHE functions as the official "brain trust" (کانون تفکر) for the ministry, conducting foundational research, developing strategic plans, drafting regulatory frameworks, and providing statistical data to support policy decisions. It is the sole official reference (مرجع رسمی) for Iranian higher education statistics, tracking approximately 3.5 million students, 85,000+ faculty members, and graduate employment outcomes across roughly 2,680 higher education institutions in the country.
IRPHE operates a portfolio of information systems and platforms covering the Iranian higher education sector. Core products include the SAHAM intelligent statistics system (سامانه هوشمند آمار آموزش عالی), the SIMAP research information management system (سامانه مدیریت اطلاعات پژوهشی), the comprehensive national higher education statistics database, the Graduate Tracking and Survey System, and the IRANTRACE graduate monitoring network that cross-references national insurance databases. The institute also publishes a peer-reviewed quarterly journal (issue 120 published in summer 2025), runs a digital library, hosts workshops and capacity-building programs, operates a publishing house, and convenes the SHEMA higher education specialists network and the National Research Institutes Congress.
IRPHE's business model is fully government-funded through state budget allocation under the Ministry of Science — it does not generate commercial revenue and provides its research outputs and policy advisory services to ministries, universities, and executive agencies at no direct charge. It serves a concentrated customer base anchored by the Ministry of Science, all Iranian universities, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution, and over 16 executive agencies, with seven specialized research groups covering the full spectrum of higher education studies. Recent strategic moves include the 2021 elevation of its president to Deputy Minister status, the 2025 launch of three mega-projects (Smart Data Governance, Impact Lab, Standard Humanities), and expanded co-organized policy panels with the Institute of Labor and Social Security on labor and macroeconomic topics.
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education
- Legal name
- Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education
- Website
- https://irphe.ac.ir
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education (IRPHE) is a government-affiliated research institute under Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, serving as the ministry's official think tank and sole national reference for higher education statistics, policy research, and graduate employment tracking across 2,680 universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Policy Research and Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Research, Evaluation & Program Effectiveness Reporting (EDADAIAM)
Keywords
Where Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tehran
- HQ country
- Iran
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Budget Allocation: The institute is a fully government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (وزارت علوم، تحقیقات و فناوری). It receives operational funding from the state budget and is assigned research mandates by the ministry and affiliated bodies. No commercial revenue model is described; the institute's outputs are provided as public goods to policymakers and the higher education system.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IRPHE conducts foundational research and provides policy advisory, strategic planning, statistical analysis, and regulatory framework development services for Iran's higher education system. It serves as the official think tank for the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, producing policy briefs, strategic plans, statistical reports, and a quarterly peer-reviewed journal, and it also delivers capacity-building workshops and conferences for university administrators and faculty members across Iran.
Product overview
The Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education (IRPHE) operates a comprehensive suite of research, statistics, and knowledge-sharing platforms for Iran's higher education sector. The core portfolio includes: the Comprehensive Higher Education Statistics Database and SAHAM Smart Statistics System for national data collection and analytics; the Graduate Tracking System and IRANTRACE network for employment monitoring; the Azma System for translating research into policy language; and the Quarterly Journal for academic publishing. Major ongoing initiatives include the Data Governance Smart System (mega-project for integrated data production and knowledge sharing) and the Impact Lab for measuring higher education outcomes. The institute also operates digital library, online meeting, and workshop/capacity-building platforms, positioning itself as the official think tank and brain center for Iran's Ministry of Science.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IRPHE Publication (انتشارات موسسه): The institute's publishing arm, which publishes books, reports, and the quarterly journal 'Research and Planning in Higher Education' (فصلنامه پژوهش و برنامهریزی در آموزش عالی) — Issue 120 published in Summer 1405 solar.
Products and services
- Quarterly Journal of Research and Planning in Higher Education (فصلنامه پژوهش و برنامهریزی در آموزش عالی)
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduate employment tracking for over 714,000 graduates tracked through insurance databases in the first survey round
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Institute of Labor and Social Security (مؤسسه کار و تأمین اجتماعی)coreThe Institute of Labor and Social Security and the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education co-organize specialized conferences and policy panels on topics including social security, fair wages, employment structure, and inflation in Iran. Examples include a panel on 'Fair Wages, Real Living Costs and Economic Welfare' and a symposium on 'Geopolitical Risks and Inflation in Iran.'
- Payam-e Noor University (دانشگاه پیام نور)coreThe project 'Redrafting Executive Programs and Updating the Strategic Document of Payam-e Noor University' was assigned to the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education, aiming to review and modernize the university's development roadmap.
- Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution (شورای عالی انقلاب فرهنگی)coreThe institute maintains a two-way relationship with the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution. Research outputs have contributed to major transformations in science and technology policy. The institute has been tasked with studies related to the national science roadmap as part of the council's mandate.
- All Iranian Universities and Higher Education InstitutionscoreThe institute provides data, policy recommendations, and advisory services to universities across Iran, and universities are key stakeholders in the institute's research programs, employment tracking surveys, and workshop offerings.
- National Research Institutes Congress (مجمع پژوهشگاههای ملی کشور)coreThe institute serves as the secretariat for the National Research Institutes Congress of the country, coordinating among Iran's national research institutes and facilitating collaborative policy research.
- Iranian Universities (Consortium for Research University)minorA consortium of universities has been formed under the institute's coordination to advance the research university model. Memoranda of understanding have been signed with volunteer universities for collaborative research initiatives.
- Executive Agencies and Government Bodies (حدود ۱۶ دستگاه اجرایی)coreOver 16 executive agencies including various deputy offices of the President, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution, and the Ministry of Science utilize the institute's research capacity and policy advisory outputs.
- Kassel University (Germany) - KOAB NetworkminorThe institute collaborated with Kassel University in Germany to learn from the KOAB (Konsortium Alumni-Panel) graduate tracking network, which is considered Europe's leading graduate survey consortium with 70 German university members. A German expert was invited to Iran in 1395 (2016) to conduct workshops for representatives from 14 Iranian universities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER): A leading private, non-profit U.S. research organization that has historically informed federal policy with rigorous academic research. Comparable to IRPHE in operating as a non-university research body producing policy-relevant analysis, though NBER's scope spans all economics while IRPHE focuses narrowly on higher education.
- OECD Directorate for Education and Skills: The OECD's policy research and advisory body on education systems across member countries. Comparable to IRPHE in producing cross-national comparative studies, policy recommendations, and the statistical frameworks that inform national education reform agendas.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS): The official statistical agency of UNESCO, maintaining global databases on education, science, and literacy. Comparable in its role as the authoritative international reference for education statistics and indicators that inform country-level policy decisions.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): The U.S. federal statistical agency for education, housed within the Department of Education. Directly comparable to IRPHE's role as the official statistical reference for Iranian higher education, with parallel mandates in collecting and publishing student, faculty, and graduate outcome data.
Direct peers
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): A U.S. advocacy and policy organization that coordinates higher-education accreditation and quality assurance. Comparable to IRPHE's role in advising on regulatory frameworks, institutional quality assessment, and governance standards for higher-education institutions.
- UNESCO IESALC (International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean): A UNESCO institute dedicated to higher-education policy research, planning, and information systems in a specific region. Directly comparable to IRPHE as a regionally-focused think tank producing statistics, policy analysis, and strategic planning support for national higher-education systems.
- National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS): A U.S. policy research and advisory organization focused on higher-education planning, performance measurement, and policy analysis. Directly comparable to IRPHE in providing state-level strategic planning, institutional effectiveness research, and data-driven decision support to universities and policymakers.
- Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI): An independent UK think tank focused exclusively on higher-education policy, producing research, reports, and policy briefs for government and university leaders. Directly comparable to IRPHE as a higher-education-focused think tank providing evidence-based policy recommendations and statistical analysis.
Regional players
- Institute of Labor and Social Security (Iran): An Iranian government-affiliated research institute under the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare that co-organizes policy panels with IRPHE. Comparable as a domestic peer with parallel structure (government-affiliated research/policy institute focused on social policy) and as a demonstrated co-partner.
- Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) at UC Berkeley: A U.S.-based higher-education research center producing policy analysis, comparative studies, and strategic planning frameworks. Comparable to IRPHE in producing academic research on higher-education policy, though operating within a U.S. academic rather than government-mandated framework.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education social profiles
Digital presenceInstitute for Research & Planning in Higher Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education
What does Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education do?
IRPHE conducts foundational research and provides policy advisory, strategic planning, statistical analysis, and regulatory framework development services for Iran's higher education system. It serves as the official think tank for the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, producing policy briefs, strategic plans, statistical reports, and a quarterly peer-reviewed journal, and it also delivers capacity-building workshops and conferences for university administrators and faculty members across Iran.
Is Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education a public or private company?
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education founded?
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education based?
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education is headquartered in Tehran, Iran, in the Middle East region.
How does Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Budget Allocation.
Who are Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Direct peers are Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), UNESCO IESALC (International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean), National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) and Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). Regional players are Institute of Labor and Social Security (Iran) and Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) at UC Berkeley.
Does Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education.
What industry is Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education in?
Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education's product category is Higher Education Policy Research and Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAO, Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes, with a secondary code of EDADADAA, Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8700.