Mohsen Karimian Azimi - PhD, As. Prof., Shahed University
Zahra Hoseini Abrishami - MSc. in Topology in progress Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

This short paper aims at providing a snapshot picture of why there is more tendency amongst some students and prospective scholars of certain fields of study as in engineering to be more attracted to engineering subbranches than some pure fields of expertise as mathematics. Open-ended questions and later close-ended questions were used to tap on participants interests and likes and dislikes regarding the issue of pursuing one’s education in one field but not the other. The findings seem to show that some of the reasons are related to prestige matters and are psychosocially bound while some others are rather financial. This might in one way or another hurt pure theoretical sciences like mathematics. Systemic support in the form of general economic enhancement of the society might be required to rescue the status quo of pure science candidates at universities, among other things. Further investigation on the issues at hand might help to shed more light on the state of the optionality.

Mathematics, engineering, technology, management, questionnaire, preferences, prestige, financial matters