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This study set out to conduct a phenomenological exploration of Shiraz university humanities PhD students’ perceptions about university image. In order to attain a profound understanding of the research topic, the interpretive phenomenology method was used. Participants of the study were PhD students of humanities at Shiraz University in the first semester of 2020-2021 educational year, who were selected through typical case purposive sampling and in the light of theoretical saturation. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. In order to validate the data, the verifiability and acceptability criteria were used through data alignment and researcher self-review during data collection and analysis processes as well as the comparison of the interviews with the theoretical bases of the study. In addition, via thematic analysis method, codes and themes were extracted and the thematic network of the organizational image of the university was drawn. The results of the study demonstrated that students’ perception of the university image (the comprehensive theme) entailed 56 basic themes, 19 secondary organizing themes, and 7 primary organizing themes, including human resources, teaching-learning process, university reputation, type of organizational structure, university milieu, services and facilities, and the architecture and green space of the university. It should be noted that the outcome of this work can inform university managers and university development planners about the factors effective on university image. This way, they can manage university image more consciously and can create a more sustainable organizational image in the students’ minds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging is a new topic that has attracted the attention of many universities and institutions of higher education.Increased competition among universities over student recruitment has forced them to create a good image of their unique characteristics. This research was conducted with the aim of designing the organizational imaging model of universities and institutions of higher education with a structural-interpretation approach at Allameh Tabataba'i University.The research method was structural-interpretive modelingand self-efficacy matrix questionnaire was used with simple random sampling. In the first stage, the researcher used the method of analyzing the subject matter of the organization's corporate imaging through the method of analyzing the network. In the second phase by using the ISM method and the MICMAC analysis, the relations between the themes including educational activities, creativity and innovation, environmental factors, identity Finding and leveling the communications, research activities, organizational climate, facilities and services, technology, reputation, physical environment and human capital were found and leveled. Ultimately the final model of the research was drawn.