Presenting a Sustainable University Model on the Development of Critical Psychological Thinking in The Country's Major Medical Universities

Background & Aims: With the change in the development paradigm from economic development to sustainable development, the role and function of the higher education system have undergone fundamental changes. Universities play a key role in transforming society into a sustainable society; Because they have the power to educate world leaders and empower them to carry out research activities to create a sustainable future. Sustainable universities have different organizational cultures that value "inclusion" and seek to promote it. Therefore, these universities play an important role in changing society and educating the new generation of citizens and leaders. Considering that universities of medical sciences play an essential role in promoting the health of society, therefore, it is recommended that to evaluate the sustainability of the university, careful planning should be done by the managers and practitioners of the higher health education system. From this point of view, the higher education system needs universities that, in terms of organizational structure, human capital, educational and research processes, etc., are the foundation for the realization of sustainable higher education in particular and sustainable development in general; A university with such characteristics is called a sustainable university. To take the first important step in the process of becoming a sustainable university, the theorists and practitioners of the university environment emphasize conducting an assessment of the sustainability situation in the university. In this context, the transformation and innovation package in medical science education has been implemented by the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education. One of the packages deals with the discussion of moving toward the fourth universities, which refers to three general policies of institutionalizing the intellectual capital approach in the health system; Presence in the regional and global educational arenas, and the production and localization of valid scientific evidence for the promotion of higher health education. It can be said that a sustainable university is a university whose philosophy is based on essential rationality and systemic thinking, and by taking advantage of an interdisciplinary approach in education and research, it identifies and solves problems affecting human societies in a transactional manner, and its ultimate goal is the realization of sustainable development for current and future generations. The immediate and future benefits of the current research are identifying the dimensions of the sustainable university in macro medical sciences universities of region one, creating relative awareness of the concept of sustainable university, presenting a model of the impact of sustainable university with the fourth generation approach on developing critical thinking skills. Also, carrying out short-term planning in the university based on the findings of the research to promote the sustainable university program and develop critical thinking skills, helping the officials and managers of the universities of medical sciences in the first region to develop long-term sustainable university strategies is one of the practical consequences of this. It is research. Therefore, considering the importance and role of educational and academic organizations, including the records of universities of medical sciences and their impressive impact on the progress of the country, the field of higher education management must have a national determination and a realistic view with hope for the future and move forward in the path The implementation of the statement of transformation and innovation packages has been taken. Therefore, according to the presented materials, the main question of the current research is: What is the impact of the sustainable university with the fourth-generation approach on intellectual capital and the development of critical thinking skills in the macro medical sciences universities of Region 1 to provide a model? Methods: The present research was conducted with a mixed approach. The statistical population in the qualitative section was 23 professors of the universities of macro-medical sciences in the first region who had the academic rank of associate professor and above, and in the quantitative section, there were 1851 professors of the academic staff of the macro-medical sciences universities in the first region of the country's health sector. In the qualitative section, 17 people were selected using the purposeful sampling method, and in the quantitative section, 320 people were selected as a statistical sample based on Cochran's formula. To collect data, the questionnaire made by the researcher of University and Rajaei's critical thinking skills questionnaire (2013) was used. Results: According to R2 values and path coefficients, it can be concluded that the relationship between the sustainable university and critical thinking (with a path coefficient of 0.371 and R2 value equal to 0.138 and T-statistic of 6.227) is positive and significant. Conclusion: In general, it can be said that the relationship of a sustainable university with critical thinking is positive and meaningful, that is, it not only provides a platform for setting goals and activities but also translates sustainability issues into a language that is understandable for the decision makers of higher schools and universities. This audit can be used as a means of celebrating and raising awareness about past achievements as well as a commitment to improving the future. Among the limitations of the present study, are the difficulty of communicating with some university professors and determining the time required to conduct interviews and the low accuracy of some of the subjects in studying the questions and answering them. From there, one of the most important factors in promoting such a program is the existence of organizational rules and regulations, so it is suggested that universities formulate a charter and guidelines for the implementation of such a method. By analyzing and investigating, various issues and issues of educational, research, and professional development are identified and measures are taken to resolve them through the use of a sustainable university. To foster critical thinking, the educational system can be developed through the development of the text curriculum. The horse will take care of this. The goals of the curriculum play a role by providing a suitable platform and directing educational activities and resources. In cultivating critical thinking, the content and the process should be considered together, and it should not be enough to transfer some information in textbooks. Using diverse resources and organizing textbooks richly can help to develop students' critical thinking.