University and industry: From contracting relations to strategic partnerships; providing strategic role model in university-society relations

Establishing sustainable and effective interactions between university and society has always been a concern for higher education system. However, these interactions have always been challenged for various reasons. The reasons can be attributed to the type of attitudes toward the roles a university plays in interaction with industry, the lack of value-added strategic interactions with industry, and the lack of efficient mechanisms based on these roles. The present study aimed at pathology of university- industry relations, and to design a model for guiding the relationship between university and industry. The research method was qualitative using a phenomenological strategy approach. Utilizing purposeful sampling method, interviews were conducted with experts including faculty members active in external university projects and industries and organizations’ managers in city of Mashhad. The results of several coding steps provided a model comprising four types of roles for the university in relation to industry and society. The findings showed that the university in its interactions with industry and society at higher levels of maturity can play the roles of  “contractor”,  “knowledge and technology center”, “ hub institute” and  “strategic partner” respectively. In this study, the mentioned roles are explained and the related mechanisms are presented.