Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract Intertwining is one of the interdisciplinary topics in strategic literature. Intersection of institutions in assigned tasks, intervention of institutions in each other's affairs and lack of coordination between executive authorities are areas of functional intertwining and interference. The emergence of this situation in the field of national security, causes inefficiency and incurs exorbitant costs. The main question of this article is what are the effects and consequences of intertwining on national security governance in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Four hypotheses of increasing public expenses, decreasing political stability, increasing security holes and filling the functional gap of national security institutions have been presented in response to the above question. This paper by using descriptive method and using case study, analyzes the findings. The results of the article show that if the issue of intertwining is not paid attention to, there is a possibility of increasing public expenses for the political system, increasing security holes and increasing political instability. At the end, some recommendations have been provided to treat this situation in the country's governance system.

Abstract In this article, the authors try to discuss the status of political legitimacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the light of the emergence and expansion of the block chain technology as a social technology. First, it will be argued that the crisis of the government's efficiency is at the center of the legitimacy crisis of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the current situation, and the block chain is something more than anything else which can challenge or increase the legitimacy of the government in Iran. The authors try to discuss the possible positive and negative effects of the block chain on government efficiency in three areas: bureaucratic efficiency, economic efficiency, and social efficiency. Then, according to the current trends and approaches in Iran towards this emerging technology, two continuity scenarios and a change scenario will be designed. The final conclusion of the article is that the results of the emergence and expansion of this technology  for political legitimacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran are not determined and inevitable, but depend on the institutional contexts, strategic choices and prevailing governance methods and patterns.

Abstract This paper attempts to study the challenges of national security governance, while answering the question "How does the National Security Supreme Council play its role in security governance?". The results are provided by using descriptive-analytical research method and interviewing twelve expert experts using the chain reference method and then preparing and adjusting the questionnaire (with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.87) using the key points extracted from the interview and distribution among 30 experts and practitioners in the field of national security. Descriptive and inferential statistics methods were used to analyze the data and check hypotheses, and Friedman's test was used to rank the indicators. The results of the research indicate that the National Security Supreme Council can play its role in the security governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran through three special tasks of policy determination, coordination of actors in the field of governance and mobilization of resources. In fact, the nature of the Council governance is regulatory governance. Also, the findings show that 46 challenges can be identified in these three special tasks, and the most important challenges caused to the Council in these three areas are: the dimension of policy determination (with an average of 39.2 %), the dimension of actor coordination governance arena (with an average of 35.2 %) and resource mobilization dimension (with an average of 27.1 %).

Abstract This research aims to answer the question that “what are the most important issues of Hormozgan province as a local unit from the point of view of governance?” According to the results of the research, mismanagement, politicization, lack of meritocracy, lack of development based on land use planning, lack of infrastructure, economic stagnation, unemployment, water resource management crisis, regional inequality and imbalance, and weakening of the rural economy are the top ten important issues of local governance and management in Hormozgan province. The analysis of the aforementioned issues showed that in order to strengthen local governance, the systemic approach, network relationships and complex structures should be given attention by local agents and their governance vision should be strengthened in such a way that macro and holistic and meticulous visions must be considered together. Also, the human resources required for good governance at the local level must have the ability to make decisions, monitor and manage issues with regard to both national and local levels, and finally, considering the time dimension, local agents, in addition must have enough authority to operate and the need to have a futuristic vision.

Abstract In the past, there was a one-sided view based on the deterrence strategy towards the migration of specialists, but today, the return of specialists to their homeland in the form of various channels, including entrepreneurial return, is on the agenda of governments. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying the factors influencing the entrepreneurial return of Iranian Elites abroad, using a survey method. The statistical population of the research consists of 217 elites and graduates who have returned to the country and started their own businesses through a cooperation plan with non-resident Iranian specialists and scientists. The results of the questionnaire indicate that nine factors have an effect on the entrepreneurial return of Iranian professionals and graduates, which in order of importance are: access to personal and family networks, a sense of duty towards the mother country, lower costs of starting a business, entrepreneurial opportunities, the state of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, access to scientific and governmental networks, the general state of the country, the government's incentive programs and policies, and the challenges of immigrants in the host country.

Abstract This paper, by studying the nature of "cultural security", will explain this concept theoretically from the perspective of the conceptual relationship between culture and security. The assumption of the article is that cultural security cannot be understood as a concept or even a phenomenon, unless you recognize and represent the different layers of the conceptual relationship between "culture" and "security". In response to this main question, the conceptual processing of this article shows that the elements and components that form and constitute security are mainly cultural. Elements and components such as mental, linguistic, semantic, discursive, conceptual, perceptual, emotional, psychological and moral aspects of security are among these and without them, the development, change and continuation of security will be impossible. In this article, after defining the concepts of culture and security in the introduction, the author will discuss the different aspects of the conceptual relationship between culture and security with an emphasis on culture as an independent variable. As a result of this processing, the author, as the hypothesis of the article, in four specific proportions; like "culture as one of the dimensions and parts of security"; "Culture as a referential subject of security"; "Culture as the shape of the security environment" and "Culture as a source of security threats" have been mentioned.

Abstract The main topic of the article is to examine the relationship between national security governance and foreign policy and how they affect each other's formation. To examine this relationship and their influence on each-other, four fundamental questions of national security governance and four missions of foreign policy have been described. The findings of the research show that the political system plays an essential role in the formation of both variables, and within them, national security governance system and foreign policy strengthen and develop each other. They are organized in the form of a spectrum from authoritarian systems to cooperative systems. Each of the political systems to the degree of closeness to the authoritarian or cooperative system form a specific type of national security governance system and foreign policy, which are completely different from each other. Cooperative systems have a broad definition of survival and seek the liberation of human beings, and despite the variety of security threats, they have limited and bottom-up security issues that are formed by persuading citizens. To solve these issues, the government is looking for a transition from “government” to “governance”. Such a system pursues a cooperative foreign policy in the international community and while providing maximum support for the security of citizens, it also pays considerable attention to the security of other human beings.

Abstract The experience of the last few decades has shown that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not performed well in the field of human rights, managing the reflection of internal protests, and justifying its regional policies. Part of this problem is due to external factors and the efforts of the anti-Iranian front; but the role and influence of internal factors cannot be ignored. Lack of common understanding of national interests among policymakers and those responsible for managing the international image of the Islamic Republic, security-oriented foreign policy and cultural exchanges, lack of an independent and responsible national institution in the field of national image, lack of institutionalized and defined communication/ division of work between active institutions in the field of public diplomacy and Iran's international image and not having a long-term plan in the field of public diplomacy and managing Iran's international image have been one of the most important internal obstacles and challenges in creating a favorable image of Iran in the world. Institutionalizing, national branding, actualizing the capacity of Iranians abroad, appropriate and targeted management of cultural agencies, accurate geographical/cultural/political target audience, optimal use of virtual space and management of daily messages are some of the solutions presented in this article to improve Iran's international image management.

Abstract This research seeks to study the role of international institutions such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in the process of socialization of governments. In order to achieve this goal, the hypothesis was taken into consideration that international institutions and organizations, including the special group, structurally act in such a way that they socialize the governments during their entry or while participating in the interactions within the institutions and organizations, and they to internalize the norms supported by international institutions and organizations and thus encourage them to change their behaviors and preferences. Therefore, by using descriptive-explanatory method and constructivist theory, the compatibility of governments with international principles and norms supported by international institutions will be analyzed.

Abstract Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the new dimensions of power. This issue can give more depth to the center-periphery structure of the international system, which is caused by the technological gap. Although this emerging technology is currently used mostly in the field of medicine, agriculture, industry and economy, but its operational scene will soon be expanded to the field of diplomacy and foreign policy of countries. The current research aims to answer this main question: "What effect can artificial intelligence have on the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of diplomacy?" The results of this research, by using the descriptive-analytical method, indicate that artificial intelligence, as a shaping factor in the diplomatic environment, has the potential to fundamentally change the order and hierarchy of international power. This may threatens the security and national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the only way to deal with it proactively, is to be present in the process of legalizing and standardizing artificial intelligence and to pay attention to artificial intelligence technology as a diplomatic issue and tool.