let me take this opportunity to explain why some Iranian members here are a bit shaky when you post things of such nature. Please don't get upset if some members express their discomfort with this topic. A few years ago I had the pleasure of Reading a book by the name of " The History of Iranian Commercial Aviation" by Abbas Atrvash who was one of Iran Air's former executive directers. In page 175 of his book, he quotes a book titled روز ها در پی سال ها written by Naser Amini. Naser amini was a Diplomat during the Shah's era . There is a very interesting story in that book that I'm quoting word by word, I didn't translate it for obvious reasons:
ماموریت چهار ساله نویسنده این اسطور در استانبول به عنوان کنسول ، مصادف بود با افتتاح خط اهن تهران به اروپا از طریق استانبول . سی و دو سال قبل روزی با غرور و افتخار به استانداری استانبول رفتم تا ابراهیم بیگ رئیس تشریفات را که از دوستان صمیمی من بود به ایستگاه راه اهن ببرم . چون قرار بود در ساعت دوازده آن روز اولین قطار تهران-استانبول وارد ایستگاه راه آهن استانبول شود . از یک هفته قبل از ورود اولین قطار ، سراسر ایستگاه راه آهن را با پرچم های دو کشور مزین ساخته و بیش از پانصد تن از شخصیت های برجسته ی محلی و کلیه ی نمایندگان سیاسی و کنسولی خارج و خلاصه هر که سرش به تنش می ارزید دعوت شده بودند تا در این مراسم تاریخی شرکت کنند . در روز موعود درست سر ساعت دوازده سر و کله قطار آن هم چه قطاری از دور پیدا شد و در حلی که مدوعیون کف می زدند در ایستگاه توقف کرد و مهمانان ایرانی که به دعوت راه آهن دولتی ایران از تهران می آمدند از قطار پیاده شدند و پس از مراسم معرفی و خوش و بش گویی ها ابراهیم بیگ را به داخل ترن بردم . صندلی ها برق می زد و نوای یکی از آهنگ های چایکوفسکی از بلندگو ها پخش می شد . رستوران قطار را پارک هتل تهران اداره می کرد و علامت خاص آن روی بشقاب ها و دستمال سفره ها به چشم می خور . وقتی پیاده شدیم به ابراهیم بیگ گفتم : نه سیل ؟ یعنی چطور بود . ابراهیم بیگ گفت : ناصر جیم ، شاهانه . در زبان ترکی جان را جیم می گویند . هنوز چند قدمی دور نشده بودیم و پذیرایی از مدعوین در سالن ایستگاه ادامه داشت که ابراهیم بیگ گفت : شما ایرانی ها در کار های نمایشی و تبلیغاتی در دنیا بی همتا هستید ، مگر قرار نیست این قطار هفته ای دو بار از تهران به استانبول بیاید ، دفترچه ات را در بیاور و یادداشت کن . درست یک ماه بعد باز ساعت دوازده من و تو این جا می آییم و از قطاری که از تهران رسیده مخصوصا رستوران آن دیدن می کنیم .
یک ماه بعد دیگر لزومی نداشت که من او را به ایستگاه راه آهن ببرم زیرا دیگر قطار آن قطار و مسافران آن مسافر ها نبودند و چون بهای بلیت ترن چند برابر قیمت اتوبوس های تی بی تی شده بود که روز با هشتاد تئمان مسافران را از تهران به استانبول می آورد ، عمر این خط ارتباطی هم مثل حباب روی آب کوتاه از آب در آمد و چند بعد عملا تعطیل شد .
ابراهیم بیگ می گفت در زمان حیات آتاتورک که در کشور شما رضا شاه سلطنت می کرد ما طرح سپاه دانش ، سپاه بهداشت و سپاه آبادانی را در سراسر کشور پیاده و اجرا کردیم . اکنون تو به هر ده دور افتاده ای در ترکیه ای سفر کنی و در قهوه خانه ای چای یا قهوه ای بنوشی ، قهوه چی مداد و کاغذ در دست دارد و صورت حساب چای را نوشته و به تو می دهد ولی ما هیچ وقت مثل شما برای آن برنامه این قدر سر و صدا راه نینداختیم .
کار ما مثل آن خیاط است که در گوشه ای نشسته بی سر و صدا هر شب یک دست کت و شلوار برازنده می دوزد و فردا صبح تحویل می دهد و کار شما همانند کار آن مسگری است که سر و صدای ترق و تروقش گوش را کر می کند اما در آخر روز با زدن صد ها چکش لوله ای را خم و به آفتابه ای لحیم کرده است
Has Iran made technological advances? Of course, no doubt about it. At the end of the day, Iran is a nation of 80 million people with vast natural and human resources, with Hundreds of thousands of Science and Engineering major graduates every year. I think the reason why some Iranians may be upset is not because of seeing these products. They are upset because they can't feel such advances in their lives. It's got to do more with management than scientific know-how. It's like an airline that has purchased hundreds of band new passenger airplanes but has no Idea how to use them.A few years ago, one of President Khatami's deputies came to Canada and attended a meeting with Iranian students at the University of Toronto. He said explicitly that the reason we can't feel all these scientific achievements is because the government has failed to create a direct link between scientific institutions and the industries.
Government failure in meeting people's basic needs leads to such perceptions. In water management, pollution, transportation( from Aviation industry to the automotive industry), mass impoverishment in the recent years. People over time develop this perception that since the state is not capable of dealing with basic challenges like what I listed above, they are not capable of doing anything.
I'm not saying this is the right perception but this is where people are coming from. You don't do High-Tech for the sake of High-tech you do it for the sake of Economic progress and development.
second reason that any fair minded Iranian has to accept is that in the recent years the Iranian Armed forces have really messed up with their unveilings, and since they've been caught so many times lying even a genuine scientific show is subject to dispute and debate. You remember چوپان دروغگو story. The last time he called, his flock had been genuinely attacked by the wolfs but since he had been caught lying so many times, no body believed him.
All credit is due to Iranian students. but you and I know too well the fate of those talented students.
A big part of what you wrote is correct... but there is a big but...
This discription is more credible for days of Reza shah or even up to first years of revolution... I know well in person what miracles have been placed during 8 years of war with management of the country... The country practically being managed with very small sum of budjet that I can gurrantee you neither Americans can do anything nor Japs with that amounts... The management during those days was miracle due to a very simple element... revolutionary and deidcated persons in charge...
The management went into a hole of darkness right after the war was over... The technocrats of those days are very capable managers but what was missing was a scope and strategic perspective... The revolution changed a lot...war even changed even more... the country were to become nearly a communist style of management due to limitations on budget... after that Hashemi came to power giving power to Capitalism Technocrats of a certain known school of economy in Iran... they first and foremost goal was to expand the economy very fast so Iran can offset all the damages and time lost due to the war and revolution... They focused on infra... and they made it a great job...but this kind of expansions are costy to a system that were only to adapt itself to the war semi-communism economy system.... This caused even more trouble... If you remember those days, there were a lot of paradox in each and every section of society and economy.... anyway, after 8 years of Rafsanjani... the power fell into hands of Khatami... Khatami used a mix of Rafsanjani era technocrats and new capitalism minds... The infra created during Rafsanjani helped his office to create a good and steady economic growth... It was a growth mostly based on reviving unfilled capacities in industry and services sector and worked quite well...
Ahmadnejad has received a relatively neatly organized system that if were to continue while the parliament supporting its plans with correcting laws, Iran would have had another constant %7 growth for at least up to the recent tightening sanctions... but Ahmadinejad did not continue that agenda... he started to act selfish and hundreds of billions of dollars blinded his eyes... he spent like there are no other government... it was predictable as he was a populist guy and never cared about the long term strategies and future governments... He practcally turned back Iranian reviving economy back to pre 1384's.... The only good thing that came to IRan with ahmadinejad, was the fact that Iran relazed that they can not just change everything so wastely and not being harmed... It is very obvious in current gov attitude... Rohani office is very conservative about economy structure modifications... they realized that this necessary modifications need to be done step by step...
This is why the leader + Tashkhise maslahat issued a law in a form that the future gov can never change long term strategies of Iran... This is a good step and apparently needed 35 years to relealize it....
Since the second half of Ahmadinejad, the leader interfiered with the important subject of science and tech issue... He realized that govs are not good with supporting and managing this sector... This is why even when ahmadi is gone the leader plans are still in place... since 1389, leader asked a team of retired and young scientists to gather up and follow this sector by brining roposals and reporting it to the leader itself... There were many sub-commitees formed... one for Navy...one for Defense minsitry...one for universities...one for nano...one for med...and so on...
since that year, we see a constant increase in first organizing science and tech activities...then helping them with budget and laws....then and the most important, to link them to private and public companies... This movement shows its results... although still an infant...
For example, all the high tech projects of army and navy grade improtance have a link to multiple universities... the subarines.... new engines... new EW systems... the Iran-150 airliner project... there are literally hundreds of such projects that have links to either universities or commercial companies... The nano is another example.... First years back in 2005 it was only a government funded research institute dobbed "Bonyad Nano"...but later when they reached commercial levels they started to sell their services to nearly 100 nano related companies that currently are very active in market....
so, although the management is not good as it should be in many basic industries but at the same time, there are a movement to correct all these since a decade a go to correct it...
I think one of the most valuable things that the leader initiated is his care for science and tech and his persistent support and follow up of this sector... He realized well that the first time the world were to share the top positions in science and tech, Iran was absent... now, in 21th century he realized well enough to know that we can not always trying to reach top level industrialized countries all the time... we need to work harder to surpass them in new sciences...
If we are fair we see clearly that very basic mistakes that were normal back 15 years ago is totally fixed now or on the verge of being fixed... one example is, the bureaucratic slow process of governmental and social services... It is very well fixed by initiating Police +10 offices and private sector "daftare khadamate dolati" offices that eliminated the old costly and lazy system....
The recent science and tech jump ups of Iran is not something to be seen in every citizens' life over night... I personally know couple of young graduates that are absorbed by serious science and tech projects after their military service... Who do you think make the R&D and building the military high techs? Who do you think is working in companies like CinnaGen or Parse Semiconductors Co....or in hundreds of new high tech companies in more than 31 science and technology parks around Iran? They are all packed with university graduates and even some still students...
Now in 2015 nearly %30 of all investments and work in Research and Development sector is PRIVATE FUNDED.... This is a good sign that private sector is walking in the right path...we only need some time to see it blossom... It is not far... I promise...