Abstarct: Achieving and maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage in higher education institutions is a long-term process that involves various stages in which the identification and assessment of opportunities and challenges are among its key pillars. In this research, the opportunities and challenges facing Shahrood University of Technology as a case study have been investigated. For this purpose, a futuristic tool has been developed baxsed on the feedback of experts in the field of higher education. Integrated analysis of effective variables in the future is carried out by structural analysis method, which is itself an effective and up-to-date method for future studies. Initially, opportunities and challenges were identified through a researcher-made opened questionnaire and interview with experts. Among the information gathered, 23 opportunities and 30 challenges were selected baxsed on the relevance of the research topic and then it is available to the experts for ranking. After ranking the variables, the interrelationships of 14 variables were investigated using structural analysis method. The The results of the comments on the analysis of the effects of the interaction have been analyzed by Mic Mac software. The findings of the research indicate that the categories such as the quality of teachers' performance appraisal, the lack of attention to the academic performance of teachers, and the excessive focus on the publication of articles are among the most important challenges in the area of human resource management in Shahrood University of Technology. Also, categories such as good geographic position in relation to two major population centers of the country (Tehran and Mashhad) and the industrial brand of the university and having relative strength in the field of mining and geosciences and some engineering disciplines, have been identified as the most influential opportunities of Shahroud University of Technology.