Exploring the Emerging Challenges of Educational Institutions in Hybrid Warfare: A Thematic Analysis of the Perspectives of Professors and Students at Farhangian University

The main objective of this study is to investigate the constellation of emerging challenges within educational institutions amid hybrid warfare. In terms of orientation, the current research is fundamental-applied, and regarding its paradigm, it falls within the category of qualitative research. In terms of data collection and analysis, the nature of the study is descriptive-analytical. To analyze the textual data obtained from semi-structured interviews with professors and students of Farhangian University, a thematic analysis strategy utilizing Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework was employed. The potential participants of this study were students and professors from three Farhangian University campuses in southern Iran, from which 29 individuals (19 students and 10 Assistant professors) were selected using a purposive approach and snowball sampling method, continuing until theoretical data saturation was achieved. The findings were identified and organized into 8 overarching themes, 26 main themes, 66 sub-themes, and their corresponding instances. A comprehensive analysis of the findings indicates that the education system, in the context of hybrid warfare, faces an intertwined network of multifaceted threats whose focal point is cognitive-media warfare and the attempt to erode the psychological capital and national-civilizational identity of the younger generation. Effectively countering these macro-structural challenges and confronting secular philosophical models requires a transition from institutional passivity to an Islamic educational paradigm and elevating the teacher’s status to that of an educational leader. This mission necessitates implementing passive defense principles in curricula, operationalizing educational methods based on Quranic teachings and models of resistance, and equipping learners with profound geopolitical insight regarding Iran’s strategic position. I.