Islamic Azad University, as an educational institution with over a quarter of a century since its establishment, plays a significant role in the growth, expansion, and development of education, as well as in raising the graduation level and advancement of individuals in Iranian society. Training human resources for entering the labor market is among the core activities of universities, including Islamic Azad University, and this activity has a substantial impact on the country's growth and development. This development has also influenced the university itself, becoming more tangible in its physical structure and widely recognized by the public as an undeniable reality. Islamic Azad University, in its path of growth and development, has integrated its surrounding environment, not only impacting its physical and environmental structure but also, in most small and medium-sized growing cities, has managed to impose itself on other land uses, altering the city's development trajectory and becoming a key factor in shaping new urban textures and evolving old ones.
The research method, based on its objective, is applied; and the study approach, based on its method and nature, is descriptive-analytical. Data collection was conducted through library research, document analysis, and field studies (questionnaires). The statistical population included 370 residents of the surrounding neighborhoods; however, to ensure reliability, 400 questionnaires were distributed, and 385 were fully completed. Analytical software SPSS and Excel were used for data analysis. The results indicate the university’s influence in economic, physical, social, and cultural dimensions.
Research Objectives:
1.     To study the institutionalization of the academic and scientific role of the university within this area of Sari city.
2.     To examine the increase of positive impacts and reduction of negative impacts of the university on the surrounding neighborhoods and villages.
Research Questions:
1.     How can proper site selection reduce the undesirable effects of the university and enhance its positive impacts on the growth and progress of the region?
2.     In what direction does the demographic and identity structure of the neighborhood surrounding the university change?