The participation of universities in resolving social and political issues in Iran, despite existing scientific, human, and organizational capacities, remains limited and largely non-institutionalized, stemming from a combination of external and internal barriers. On one hand, political and security interventions, the interference of factional tastes in university management, reduced institutional independence, and financial dependence on the government have constrained the university's capacity for active role-playing. On the other hand, the absence of intermediate institutions to translate knowledge into policy, the lack of an appropriate legal-organizational structure, difficulties in accessing overt and covert data, and weak division of labor among the university, government, media, and civil institutions have caused the university's connection with objective societal issues to take shape sporadically and in a fragmented manner. Furthermore, mutual distrust between the government, the university, and the academic body, the lack of a clear agenda for scientific participation, and the dominance of quantitative and resume-oriented criteria in the academic promotion system have diminished the motivation and capacity for problem-oriented research. The desirable status entails recognizing university independence, reviving the public sphere and the possibility of dialogue, establishing professional think-tanks and intermediaries, strengthening non-governmental evaluation and accreditation institutions, transparent access to data, and the internationalization of universities. These reforms can transform the university into a reference for solution production and policy critique in the domain of social and political issues.