Presenting the Fourth Generation University Model (Case Study: Islamic Azad University)

Universities play an important role in regional dynamism and growth. On the one hand, universities are major economic factors and have a direct impact on economic and local activities, and on the other hand, universities contribute to the cultural ecology and natural environment of the region to which they belong. The present research has been done with the aim of presenting the fourth generation university model with a qualitative approach and with the theme analysis method. The statistical population consisted of academic and organizational experts who were selected by a purposeful (judgmental) method and the interview was continued to the point of theoretical saturation. This is important in the twelfth interview. "Peer review and review by participants" and "reliability between two coders and retest" were used to confirm the reliability of the research. With three coding steps (example, main theme, sub-theme); axes have been identified based on the research results; key relationships including the relationship between university and society, alignment of university mission and community goals, and the relationship between university and industry were identified. Impact factors and consequences were also identified. Outcomes including internal and external consequences were examined.