Iranian Political Science Association Research Letter of Political Science 1735790X 20 4 2025 11 22 Systematic Review of Research on Iranian Elite Migration: A Meta-Synthesis of Studies from the Last Three Decades Systematic Review of Research on Iranian Elite Migration: A Meta-Synthesis of Studies from the Last Three Decades 557 10.22034/ipsa.2026.557 FA Taha Ashayeri Associate professor, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili,ardabil, Iran 0000-0001-8210-8899 Journal Article 2025 12 03 "Over the past three decades, the migration of Iranian elites has become one of the structural challenges facing the country's scientific and economic system. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-synthesis of previous research on the migration of Iranian elites. This study was carried out through a systematic review and meta-synthesis approach, based on the seven-step model proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). The research population consisted of 114 scientific documents published between 2005 and 2025, with a sample size of 59 (purposeful sampling). Accordingly, four main dimensions of Iranian elite migration were identified and enumerated during the period from 2005 to 2025: the social dimension (social anomie, decline in social capital, dissatisfaction, discrimination, and low quality of life); the cultural dimension (repulsiveness of the educational system, decline in the status of knowledge, cultural and educational attractions of the destination, lack of educational justice, and industry inefficiency); the economic dimension (economic pressures, weak scientific investment, economic anomie, and significant disparities in income and job opportunities); and the political dimension (political discrimination, complex bureaucracy, law evasion, corruption, and low political capital) "Over the past three decades, the migration of Iranian elites has become one of the structural challenges facing the country's scientific and economic system. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-synthesis of previous research on the migration of Iranian elites. This study was carried out through a systematic review and meta-synthesis approach, based on the seven-step model proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). The research population consisted of 114 scientific documents published between 2005 and 2025, with a sample size of 59 (purposeful sampling). Accordingly, four main dimensions of Iranian elite migration were identified and enumerated during the period from 2005 to 2025: the social dimension (social anomie, decline in social capital, dissatisfaction, discrimination, and low quality of life); the cultural dimension (repulsiveness of the educational system, decline in the status of knowledge, cultural and educational attractions of the destination, lack of educational justice, and industry inefficiency); the economic dimension (economic pressures, weak scientific investment, economic anomie, and significant disparities in income and job opportunities); and the political dimension (political discrimination, complex bureaucracy, law evasion, corruption, and low political capital)