The importance of governance, leadership and administration in terms of quality and sustainability in higher education system is a common reality. The Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) have elaborated regulatory and financial structures that have many implications on institutional autonomy and performance. Assam is a distinctive context because it is a northeastern state, with most of the universities being public and most of the colleges being provincialized, which means that it is influenced by the differences between the regions, the control of the state, and the infrastructural limitations. The paper explores the structures of governance, leadership style and administrative issues in the public higher education institutions of Assam by relying on secondary source of data. The study is based on policy documents, regulatory reports, and the literature of scholars and the analysis of the impact of centralized governance, limited leadership freedom, and inefficiencies in their administration on the functioning of institutions and academic quality. It is analysed in the context of modern discourse of reform, especially the National Education Policy 2020, that highlights issues of transparency, accountability, and building leadership capabilities. The results indicate that there are ongoing issues associated with the bureaucratic control, financial dependence, staffing issues, gaps in digital governance, and compliance overload. This research proposes that to reform the higher education sector in Assam, it is necessary to devise the decentralization of the governance of the sector, professionalization of leadership, and building of the administrative capacity to bring the institutions up to national standards of quality and meet the regional developmental demands.

Characteristics and determinants of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in Chinese nursing students: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), especially in resource‐constrained environments, face pressure to modernize IT systems while managing limited budgets and legacy infrastructure. This study explores how enterprise architecture (EA) is applied by ICT leaders in Tanzanian public universities to manage technical debt (TD) under institutional and policy constraints. It provides empirical evidence from low‐resource institutions. It draws on qualitative insights gathered through semi‐structured interviews with ICT managers, system administrators, and academic IT leads in four Tanzanian public universities. A literature review on EA and TD management supported the analysis. Findings reveal that participants view EA as a promising governance tool for mitigating TD by aligning fragmented ICT investments, improving accountability, and reducing duplication in Tanzanian HEIs. The analysis revealed barriers that HEIs face in realizing EA for effective TD management: resistance to change, insufficient technical resources, limited expertise, and difficulty quantifying Return On Investment (ROI). Nonetheless, it was identified that EA could enhance IT governance, agility, and alignment with institutional strategy. For institutional managers, EA provides a structured mechanism to streamline IT governance, optimize digital infrastructure, and align technology investments with long‐term strategic plans. This offers a critical pathway for education leaders facing budgetary constraints and digital transformation demands. The study offers empirically grounded insights into how EA is operationalized within public universities in Tanzania, contributing to the discourse on digital governance and institutional reform in the Global South. The insights are relevant for policymakers aiming to strengthen IT governance and institutional resilience in constrained education systems.

This study presents a descriptive demographic profile of university youth engaged in political-related activities on social media within selected Public Higher Education Institutions (IPTA) in the Southern Zone of Malaysia. Using a quantitative descriptive research design, data were collected from 420 students across six public universities. The demographic variables examined include gender, age, ethnicity, religion and educational attainment. The findings describe a respondent cohort that is predominantly female (59.8%), largely within the 21–25 age group (59.3%) and characterized by a high concentration of Malay (95.5%) and Muslim (97.4%) respondents. In terms of educational attainment, more than half of the respondents are pursuing or have completed bachelor’s degree programmes (56.0%). This study establishes baseline demographic data that contextualize youth populations involved in political-related social media activities within specific institutional and regional settings. As a descriptive analysis, the study does not examine behavioural outcomes, media literacy levels or political competence and no causal or inferential claims are advanced.

Ethnopedagogy emphasizes the integration of local wisdom into educational practices and has gained increasing attention in EFL contexts. This study aimed to develop inferential reading materials by integrating Lampung local wisdom through an ethnopedagogical approach. Employing a research and development (R&D) design based on the Thiagarajan and Semmel 4D model, the study involved four stages: define, design, develop, and disseminate. During the define stage, students’ needs were examined through questionnaires and interviews. The design stage focused on syllabus development and the selection of reading theories, strategies, text genres, and culturally relevant materials rooted in Lampung local wisdom. In the develop stage, an inferential reading textbook was produced and validated by experts, while the disseminate stage examined students’ responses to the materials. The participants consisted of one inferential reading lecturer and 70 undergraduate students from an English Education program at a public higher education institution in Indonesia. The findings reveal a strong need for culturally grounded inferential reading materials, as existing resources insufficiently support students’ inferential comprehension skills. Students’ responses indicated a highly positive evaluation of the materials in terms of relevance, clarity, and cultural integration, with a mean score of 3.48 on a 4-point scale, categorized as very good. These results suggest that an ethnopedagogical approach is both effective and feasible for developing inferential reading materials in EFL higher education contexts.

This study examines the impact of push and pull factors on international student loyalty in Malaysian higher education, focusing on the mediating role of student satisfaction. Push factors include limited higher education opportunities in students' home countries, economic challenges, and political instability. Meanwhile, pull factors such as education quality, affordable living costs, institutional reputation, and cultural diversity play a significant role in attracting students to Malaysia. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach, this study analyzes data from 512 international students enrolled in public higher education institutions in Malaysia. The findings reveal that pull factors have a significant direct effect on student satisfaction and loyalty. Conversely, push factors do not show a significant effect on satisfaction or loyalty. Additionally, student satisfaction serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between pull factors and student loyalty, indicating that campus experience and support services play a crucial role in shaping international students’ loyalty. These findings emphasize that the attractiveness of institutions and the Malaysian educational environment play a crucial role in ensuring international students' satisfaction and loyalty. This study contributes to providing insights for policymakers to strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness as a global education destination.

This article presents a case study of an educational innovation implemented in Introducción a los Procesos Tecnológicos (IPT), a first-year course shared by communication degree programmes at the National University of Río Cuarto (Argentina). The proposal adopted a flipped learning model adapted to the institutional, technological and pedagogical conditions of a public higher education setting. The analysis examines how these conditions shaped the experience, highlighting technological mediations, the reorganisation of instructional time and heterogeneous student trajectories. The study argues that innovation constitutes a situated response to contemporary challenges, enabling more autonomous and meaningful learning in public universities.

This study investigates the impact of specific financial management practices on the financial performance of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Ghana. This done by utilizing a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected from 55 staff in the Finance and Audit departments via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A Tobit regression model was employed to analyse the quantitative data, testing the influence of budgeting and budgetary control, financial reporting and transparency, internal controls and audit practices, and cash flow management on financial performance. The findings reveal that financial reporting and transparency (β = 1.23, p = 0.001), and cash flow management (β = 1.05, p = 0.002), have the most significant positive impact on financial performance. Budgeting and budgetary control showed a moderate positive effect, while internal controls had a weaker influence. The study, framed by the Resource-Based View and Contingency theories, concludes that enhancing transparency and cash flow efficiency are the most critical levers for improving financial health in public higher education institutions in developing contexts.

This study investigates the multidimensional impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on sustainability ‎practices within public higher education institutions. In this paper, sustainability is conceptualized as a ‎three-dimensional construct：environmental, economic, and social educational and this definition ‎guides the study design and interpretation of outcomes. Using an integrated approach that combines ‎extensive literature reviews, quantitative survey data from over 5,000 respondents, and carefully ‎selected case studies, we examine how AI implementations, including personalized learning systems, ‎automated assessment tools, and intelligent tutoring systems, enhance the sustainability of ‎educational practices. Our methodology incorporates both classical statistical methods and novel ‎computational formulas for data reliability and variance analysis. The results demonstrate that AI ‎promotes efficiency, resource optimization, and innovative teaching paradigms, while also unearthing ‎challenges related to ethical issues, scalability, and infrastructural limitations. A deeper dive into ‎subgroup analyses reveals gender differences and disciplinary disparities in attitudes toward AI usage. ‎Ultimately, the study argues that the responsible integration of AI can substantially advance ‎sustainable practices in public higher education if accompanied by rigorous policy and pedagogical ‎strategies‎.

Academic research productivity has a gender dimension due to under-representation and multiple burdens faced by women. Limited research has examined how gender shapes motivation for research productivity. This exploratory study examines the gender-based differences in the motivational drivers for early-stage research among 104 academics (65 men and 39 women) from a public higher education institution. The research engagement and productivity framework was adopted with eight intrinsic and six extrinsic motivational drivers. Descriptive statistics were employed to investigate the gendered differences in academic motivational levels for early-stage research. Results show similar levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation regardless of gender and familial connections. However, variability of motivational levels was prevalent among female academics, particularly married women with children. The results of the study provide an exception to the greater male variability (GMV) with research motivation. In particular, findings show greater variability of women academics with motivational drivers to research productivity.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in science education is becoming essential, yet research on preservice science teachers’ preparedness for AI adoption remains scarce. This study addressed this gap by examining the factors influencing AI integration readiness using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. Data were collected from 350 preservice science teachers in private and public higher education institutions through a structured survey. The SEM results revealed that prior technology experience significantly predicted AI readiness (β = 0.257, p < 0.001), confidence in learning AI (β = 0.273, p < 0.001), and self-transcendent goals (β = 0.267, p < 0.001). Additionally, attitude towards AI strongly influenced AI readiness (β = 0.504, p < 0.001) and confidence in learning AI (β = 0.338, p < 0.001). Engagement in AI learning emerged as the strongest predictor of preparedness for AI integration (β = 0.803, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the importance of AI-focused teacher training programs and experiential learning strategies to enhance AI competency. The study underscores the need for curriculum enhancements to foster AI engagement and mitigate AI-related anxiety, ensuring that future educators are well-equipped for AI-driven pedagogy in science education.

Professors in higher education institutions (HEI) are exposed to risk factors for quality of life (QoL). This prospective cohort study aimed to identify the predictors of QoL in a cohort of professors who work 40 h per week in Brazilian public HEI. Nine hundred fifty-four professors composed the sample. They were invited to participate in the electronic survey through advertisements in the media, social networks and emails. Data collection took place from May-December 2022 (baseline), November 2022-August 2023 (6-month follow-up), and May-December 2023 (12-month follow-up). Multiple linear regression identified predictors of QoL among sociodemographic, occupational and health characteristics, daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), predisposition to obstructive sleep apnea (Stop-Bang questionnaire), psychosocial risks (COPSOQ II-Br) and physical activity (IPAQ–short form). The QoL was assessed using the WHOQOL-bref. The response rate was 80% at six- and 12-month follow-up. Sociodemographic, occupational and psychosocial factors; health conditions and lifestyle habits were significantly associated with QoL after one year. The number of medical diagnoses was negatively associated with QoL scores in the physical and psychological domains. Family income was positively associated with QoL in the environment domain, and the quantitative work demands was negatively associated with QoL in the social relationships domain. Strategies are needed to improve social relationships, psychological, physical and environmental aspects, such as sleep hygiene techniques, workplace physical activity, health education, occupational stress management programs, and mental healthcare for professors, protecting them from psychosocial risk and decreased QoL.

Introduction: The transition to university life among adolescents is often associated with decreased physical activity and poorer eating habits, including increased consumption of sugar- and fat-rich foods. Aims: This study aimed to assess adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern and to characterise lifestyle behaviours—namely alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and physical activity—among university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire, distributed via institutional email and Facebook, and available throughout May 2022. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, dietary intake (assessed with the PREDIMED questionnaire), and physical activity (measured using the IPAQ). Results: The sample included 62 participants, predominantly female (85.5%) and undergraduate students (88.7%), with half enrolled in a public higher education institution. Approximately 30% were overweight (pre-obesity/obesity). The median PREDIMED score was 9 (IQR: 7–10). Most students did not smoke or consume alcohol regularly. Nonetheless, participants reported spending an average of 7 hours per day in sedentary activities, with 71.2% citing lack of time as a barrier to physical activity. A positive correlation was observed between age and PREDIMED score (r = 0.436; p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted interventions to promote healthy lifestyle habits among university students.

Higher education institutions in Mexico have undertaken numerous efforts to internationalize without, to date, there being a consensual or public policy on what actions to undertake or develop to carry out such internationalization. The objective of this study was to analyze the strategies for the internationalization of higher education in the four most relevant public higher education institutions in Mexico during 2022. The approach was qualitative; firstly, the systematic method was applied to categorize the data obtained through the documentary research technique. Subsequently, the analytical and comparative methods allowed analyzing the set of internationalization strategies of each university, while the deductive method allowed generating proposals. It was concluded that internationalization actions in Mexico have been dominated by early and traditional strategies such as academic mobility and international agreements; therefore, it is necessary to promote their standardization based on a higher education policy that comprehensively promotes more innovative, accessible and inclusive actions such as common virtual campuses and online collaborative learning methodologies.

IMPACT This article presents a practical and evidence-based framework for improving management and strategic decision-making in public universities. By integrating both desirable and undesirable indicators, such as graduation and dropout rates, into a combined index, it provides actionable insights that enhance educational quality and institutional efficiency. Additionally, it highlights budget share as an important strategic performance indicator, reflecting each public university’s capacity to negotiate, secure, and manage financial resources. This approach enables university managers and directors, institutional researchers, and policy-makers to identify weaknesses and prioritize data-driven interventions. The study will help practitioners in public higher education seeking to strengthen accountability, promote ongoing improvement, and develop more equitable management strategies. ABSTRACT This article evaluates the performance of public universities in Argentina and explores how performance measurement can inform better university management. A composite indicator (CI) was constructed using the benefit of the doubt (BOD) method, integrating desirable and undesirable indicators. The authors identify the universities that are performing well and provide guidance on how universities can improve specific indicators. Unlike previous studies, this article intentionally incorporates undesirable indicators, such as the dropout rate, highlighting their relevance for effective management. The study also examines the role of the ‘budget share’ indicator and confirms its importance in evaluating institutional performance. Three key indicators emerge as priorities for management improvement: graduation rate, rate of categorized researchers, and dropout rate. For policy-makers and public higher education managers, including funding-related and undesirable metrics in performance evaluations is essential to support informed decision-making and strategic resource allocation.

This paper analyzes the perception of students enrolled in the Electromagnetism course when exposed to viral videos containing pseudoscientific content related to physical phenomena. The qualitative study involved nine students from a public higher education institution, who investigated misleading videos widely shared on social media. The activity encouraged the confrontation between deceptive information and the scientific concepts learned in class, fostering critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and awareness of the societal impacts of misinformation. The findings show that guided analysis of digital content can strengthen scientific literacy and help develop more reflective, discerning students prepared to navigate the digital world.

Aims: To evaluate the irradiance level of the light-curing units (LCUs) used in the Dental Clinics of the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI) and the influence of the physical integrity of the light guide tips on this parameter. Materials and methods: 22 LCUs from the Dabi Atlante Ultraled (Dabi Atlante, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil) and Dentemed Prime Led 2 (Dentemed, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) models were randomly selected, as well as two light tips of each for testing: one in excellent condition and the other damaged and with debris build-up. A Valo Cordless LCU (Ultradent, Indaiatuba, São Paulo, Brazil) was used as the control. Irradiance was measured with an RD-7 radiometer (Ecel, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil) with three measurements on each light-curing unit, with a 20 second interval between each measurement, and the average of the measurements was used. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon's W test, and Student's t-test for paired samples. Results: The two LCU models used at UFPI, with the two types of light tips selected, showed average irradiances above 400 mW/cm², with the exception of the Dabi Atlante Ultraled model when using a damaged tip with debris build-up, which showed an average of 191 mW/cm² under these conditions. The performance of the Dentemed brand was statistically superior to that of the Dabi Atlante brand (p<0.05), while the performance of both brands using tips in excellent condition was also statistically superior when compared to the performance using tips with debris build-up and damaged (p<0.05). Conclusion: The LCUs evaluated presented irradiance below the values indicated by the manufacturers and the physical integrity of the light curing tips significantly influenced this parameter, with a reduction observed when damaged tips and those with debris build-up were used.

Research competencies are indispensable for students, contributing significantly to their future professional development and capacity for informed decision-making in their respective fields upon entering the workforce. This study determined the level of research competencies among students. It utilized a validated researcher-made test. Mean was used to determine their level of research competencies and strengths and weaknesses, further, ANOVA was utilized in identifying significant differences that existed between groups. It found out that students are good at identifying the problem, stating research questions and implementing data collection process. However, they are hard up in identifying the nature of inquiry, literature review and interpretation and presentation of results. It came to the conclusion that training programs were required to strengthen the students' identified areas of weakness. It recommended therefore that interventions such as the trainings programs should be implemented in order to enhance students’ research competencies.

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تحليل دور استراتيجيات إدارة الموارد البشرية في رفع مستوى الأداء الوظيفي في مؤسسات التعليم العالي العامة بمدينة البيضاء الليبية. وقد ركزت هذه الدراسة على خمس استراتيجيات رئيسة تمثل أبعاد المتغير المستقل، وهي: استراتيجية التوظيف، استراتيجية التدريب والتطوير، استراتيجية تقييم الأداء، استراتيجية التعويضات والمكافآت، واستراتيجية التمكين، حيث تم قياس علاقتها وأثرها بالمتغير التابع وهو الأداء الوظيفي للعاملين الإداريين في هذه المؤسسات. اعتمدت الدراسة على المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، وتم استخدام العينة القصدية لجمع البيانات من (92) فردًا من مجتمع الدراسة الأصلي المكون من (120) موظفًا، مع الاعتماد على (79) استبانة صالحة للتحليل. واستخدمت الدراسة عددًا من الأساليب الإحصائية، من بينها: معامل كرونباخ ألفا لقياس الثبات، وتحليل بيرسون لفحص العلاقات بين المتغيرات وتحليل الانحدار الخطي لقياس التأثير واختبار الفرضيات. وقد توصلت نتائج الدراسة أن هناك علاقة ارتباط إيجابية متوسطة إلى قوية بين استراتيجيات إدارة الموارد البشرية الخمسة مع الأداء الوظيفي، كذلك بينت النتائج أن هناك تأثيرًا إيجابيًا ومعنويًا قويًا لاستراتيجية التدريب والتطوير، وكذلك لاستراتيجية التمكين واستراتيجية التعويضات والمكافئات في تحسين الأداء الوظيفي، في حين كان تأثير استراتيجية تقييم الأداء متوسطًا، أما استراتيجية التوظيف، فقد تبين أن تأثيرها كان أقل معنوية مقارنة ببقية الاستراتيجيات، رغم وجود علاقة ارتباط متوسطة بينها وبين الأداء الوظيفي. وقد أوصت الدراسة بضرورة التركيز على تطوير برامج التدريب المستمر، وتفعيل ممارسات التمكين الوظيفي، وتحسين نظم المكافآت والتحفيز. كما دعت إلى مراجعة سياسات التوظيف بما يضمن المزيد من الشفافية والكفاءة، وتطوير آليات تقييم الأداء لتعكس الجهود الفعلية للعاملين وتسهم في تحفيزهم على تحسين أدائهم.

Morocco’s higher education, scientific research, and innovation landscape is undergoing significant transformation through the Pacte ESRI (Plan National d’Accélération de la Transformation de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche Scientifique et de l’Innovation ) 2030 reform. This research article examines the current state of public higher education institutions, regional disparities in student enrollment, gender distribution in selected faculties, and the new pedagogical and credit frameworks introduced under the national plan. Using secondary data from the Ministry of Higher Education’s official statistics and the national book of pedagogical norms of the fundamental license 2023, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the latest shifts in Morocco’s higher education. The findings highlight notable institutional diversity, persistent regional imbalances, ongoing efforts to enhance student skills, and structural reforms aimed at aligning undergraduate programs with the labor market and international standards