This study aimed to develop and propose a paradigmatic model of a future-oriented curriculum for higher education in Iran using a qualitative grounded theory approach. Participants were selected through purposive sampling followed by theoretical sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with faculty members and experts in curriculum studies and analyzed using MAXQDA 2024 through the sequential processes of open, axial, and selective coding. The findings resulted in a six-dimensional paradigmatic model. Causal conditions comprised technological transformations, socio-cultural changes, and evolving labor market and future workforce demands. Contextual conditions encompassed universities' technological infrastructure as well as technology-enhanced and innovation-oriented teaching and learning environments. Intervening conditions included higher education policy and governance, organizational and institutional constraints, and environmental complexity and instability. In response to these conditions, the identified strategies involved designing interdisciplinary and international curricula, strengthening university–industry and university–community engagement, rethinking curriculum content and educational objectives, institutionalizing futures thinking in curriculum planning, and enhancing universities' human capital. The implementation of these strategies is expected to improve the quality and effectiveness of higher education, foster future-oriented professional and digital competencies, and accelerate the transition toward smart universities. By explicating the relationships among conditions, strategies, and outcomes, the proposed model offers an indigenous and theoretically grounded framework for redesigning higher education curricula in Iran and provides practical guidance for policymakers, curriculum planners, and university leaders in responding to rapidly evolving scientific, technological, and societal transformations.