Purpose This study aims to explore how top Indonesian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) progress toward achieving World Class University (WCU) status based on the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking (QS WUR) criteria. Design/methodology/approach The research investigates institutions ranked between 101 and 500 globally in the QS WUR editions from 2024 until 2026. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted panel regression analyses using internal performance indicators as independent variables and supplemented the quantitative findings with interviews involving top-level university administrators. Findings The regression results reveal three key variables that significantly influence overall WCU scores: citations per faculty, employment outcomes, and the faculty-student ratio. The qualitative strand reveals varying degrees of strategic alignment with these variables. Findings highlight that the top five HEIs in Indonesia prioritize citations per faculty member as key enablers of WCU performance. Research limitations/implications Given the qualitative design, this study is limited by the cross-sectional nature of the data. It focuses on the ranking improvement, which can be a result of the previous officer. Another limitation is the study’s use of QS ranking, which some researchers have criticized. However, the QS ranking provides more detail and periodic updates than other university ranking systems. Future research should periodically assess the program’s effectiveness and consider comparing the linearity data across university ranking systems. These findings provide strategic guidance for HEIs and policymakers in emerging economies seeking to compete in global ranking systems. Originality/value It is important that a country has a higher education system that fosters innovation and competitive advantage. Therefore, this study aims to help relevant authorities gain an additional perspective to improve HEI performance in global ranking systems.

Background and Aims: Faculty motivation is an important factor in influencing teaching quality, research productivity, and overall institutional effectiveness in higher education. This study examines the effects of compensation equity and promotion practices on faculty motivation, investigating the mediating role of perceived organizational justice and the moderating role of leadership communication in Ghanaian public universities. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 412 faculty members across six public universities in Ghana using structured questionnaires. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test hypothesized relationships, including mediation and moderation effects. Findings: The results revealed that compensation equity (β = 0.187, p < 0.01) and promotion practices (β = 0.162, p < 0.05) significantly influenced faculty motivation. The findings further showed that perceived organizational justice fully mediated the relationship between compensation equity and faculty motivation (indirect effect = 0.284, p < 0.001) and partially mediated the promotion-motivation relationship (indirect effect = 0.251, p < 0.001). The finding also established that Leadership communication significantly moderated the justice-motivation relationship (β = 0.143, p < 0.01), with the positive effect being stronger when leadership communication was high. The model explained 68.4% of variance in faculty motivation. Research Limitations: Cross-sectional design limits causal inference; future longitudinal studies could strengthen causal claims. The study context (Ghanaian public universities) may limit generalizability to other contexts. Practical Implications: University administrators should prioritize transparent compensation systems, merit-based promotion criteria, and effective leadership communication to enhance faculty motivation. Justice perceptions serve as critical psychological mechanisms requiring attention beyond mere policy implementation. Value: This study is among the first to simultaneously examine compensation equity, promotion practices, organizational justice, and leadership communication in a comprehensive moderated mediation model within African higher education, providing valuable insights for resource-constrained contexts.

Orientation: Turnover intention and faculty poaching have become serious challenges to sustaining the quality of higher education, particularly in developing countries. Factors such as financial rewards and cultural openness patterns are suspected to influence these phenomena. Research purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of financial rewards and cultural openness patterns on turnover intention and poaching susceptibility among tenured lecturers at five famous universities in Medan, Indonesia. Motivation for the study: The study is motivated by the increasing incidence of poaching experienced lecturers, which results in the loss of valuable academic talent. This issue calls for a better empirical understanding of its causal factors to support more effective lecturer retention strategies. Research approach/design and method: Adopting a quantitative explanatory research approach, data were collected from 471 tenured lecturers using a structured survey. The relationships among variables were analysed using structural equation modelling. Main findings: The results reveal that financial rewards have a significant influence on turnover intention and poaching susceptibility. In contrast, cultural openness patterns show no significant effect on either outcome. Practical/managerial implications: These findings highlight the importance of competitive and sustainable compensation policies in reducing turnover intentions and susceptibility to poaching. University administrators can use these insights to design more effective retention strategies. Contribution/value-add: This study enriches the human resource management literature by providing new empirical evidence on turnover and poaching dynamics in higher education within the context of developing countries, particularly Indonesia.

Academic environments are expected to uphold high standards of integrity and professionalism. Yet, sexual misconduct by faculty has been a persistent and deeply concerning issue in U.S. colleges. Furthermore, sanctions for such misconduct remain lenient and inconsistent across colleges, which potentially contributes to victims' exposure to risky environments. Previous scholarly efforts found cultural factors leading to lenient sanctions for sexual misconduct. However, the earlier approaches did not fully examine broad external factors that could affect institutional sanction decisions. College administrations make critical decisions regarding sanctions for faculty sexual misconduct cases. Therefore, understanding factors that influence colleges' decisions is important for sexual misconduct prevention through clearer and consistent policies. To contribute, the current study aims to investigate (a) how U.S. colleges respond to sexual misconduct by the faculty and (b) which external factors are associated with the severity of sanctions. By analyzing the Academic Sexual Misconduct Database (ASMD), the current study found that (a) tenured faculty tend to receive lenient sanctions and (b) non-white faculty tend to receive harsher sanctions. Notably, the seriousness of sexual misconduct is not associated with sanction severity. These findings are consistent with sociological and criminological theories regarding institutional decision-making processes-colleges' decision-making processes follow rational choices based on cost estimation, and it may eventually lead to bias against non-white faculty who commit similar misconduct as white faculty. To promote safer academic environments, the current study recommends that colleges prepare better standards based on the nature of sexual misconduct. Additional implications for future research are also discussed.

Understanding the determinants of entrepreneurial intention among Sudanese university students.

Effective complaint management systems are increasingly recognised as critical enablers of operational excellence in higher education institutions. However, empirical evaluations of such systems within university settings remain limited. This study evaluates the performance and governance effectiveness of UiTM’s e-Aduan system as the university’s centralised digital platform for recording, monitoring, and resolving complaints. The study aims to assess how the system contributes to service responsiveness, resolution efficiency, and institutional accountability. Using a three-year dataset (2023–2025), the analysis examines complaint volumes, closure rates, and response timeliness, supplemented by workflow documentation, dashboard analytics, governance records of 242 moderators across 87 departments, and both internal and external audit reports. The findings indicate a steady improvement in service performance, with complaint resolution rates rising from 81% in 2023 to over 90% in 2025, alongside consistent outcomes across departments. These results suggest that a well-structured and systematically governed complaint management system strengthens transparency, enhances organisational performance, and supports the pursuit of operational excellence in university administration. This study contributes to the limited literature on digital complaint management in higher education and offers practical insights for institutions seeking to improve service quality and stakeholder trust through data-driven governance mechanisms.

ABSTRACT The study on The Role of Higher Education Institutions' capacity‐building programs in Promoting Transnational Education (TNE) in Uganda focuses on both host and home institutions. The research aimed to assess the impact of TNE, investigate challenges affecting its sustainability, and suggest strategies for improvement. A qualitative exploratory design was adopted, wherein data were collected from university administrators, lecturers, and student leaders at Makerere University. Their responses were coded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Findings revealed that TNE plays a significant role in expanding access to higher education by offering students international learning opportunities, enhancing academic advancement, and providing global exposure, thereby improving education quality. However, challenges such as inadequate funding and regulatory inconsistencies hinder the long‐term sustainability of TNE programs. The study concludes that Transnational Education is instrumental and fundamental in transforming the host university's infrastructure and technology, on top of promoting quality education. The study recommends increased government funding for local universities, through grants, subsidies, and policy incentives, to improve their competitiveness in the TNE space. Additionally, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) should establish clear regulatory frameworks to harmonise TNE policies, ensuring quality education and supporting the sustainability of both host and home institutions in Uganda.

ABSTRACT In response to Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, students across universities in North America and Europe organised encampments to demand that their institutions pressure Israel to end its violence in Gaza and occupation of Palestine. Focusing on Canadian universities, our paper explores how the “terrorism” discourse shaped under the War on Terror is used against the Palestine solidarity student encampments. We rely on the critical terrorism scholarship that is attuned to the colonial underpinnings of contemporary responses to “terrorism”, as well as the underlying racial-nationalist ideas that cast Muslims, and by extension Palestinians, as civilisational threats to the West. We examine the responses of university administrations to encampments across 18 universities. We also analyse mainstream media reporting of encampments in four news outlets between April and September 2024. We find that representations of encampments (1) reproduce unsubstantiated accusations of “terrorism”, (2) present encampments as being against Canadian “values” and (3) raise concerns about demographic shifts to explain Palestine solidarity. This work addresses a gap in critical studies in terrorism by asking how the “terrorism” discourse shapes engagement with Palestine solidarity activism. It also adds to the burgeoning scholarship on anti-Palestinian racism, which captures how Palestinians and their allies face silencing, exclusion and dehumanisation.

Physical education teachers play a unique role in the university environment. They need to not only teach physical skills, but also cultivate students’ teamwork spirit and physical fitness, thereby playing a crucial role in higher education. This study used the questionnaire survey method, taking physical education teachers in Chinese universities as samples. A total of 554 formal questionnaires were collected. This study aims to explore predictive effects of perceived spiritual leadership of physical education teachers in Chinese universities on teachers’ innovation, and the mediating effect of workplace spirituality between perceived spiritual leadership and innovative behaviors. The results indicate that there are no significant differences in teachers’ innovative behaviors among physical education teachers of different genders, while there are significant differences among teachers with different educational backgrounds and professional titles. Perceived spiritual leadership has a significant positive impact on teachers’ innovative behaviors and workplace spirituality; workplace spirituality has a significant positive influence on teachers’ innovative behaviors; and workplace spirituality has a mediating effect between the perceived spiritual leadership and teachers’ innovative behaviors. This study provides practical guidance for university administrators by exploring the impact of perceived spiritual leadership on the innovative behaviors of physical education teachers in universities.

Assessment of student learning is commonly understood as an objective measurement of learning outcomes, targeting students’ abilities. In information literacy instruction, assessment practices in Ugandan University libraries are seldom documented, and as a result, demonstrating the value of libraries’ information literacy programs to university stakeholders and administrators becomes difficult. This paper examines the current assessment practices for information literacy instruction at selected Ugandan university libraries to improve assessment policies for information literacy. The sociocultural theory of learning was chosen to guide this study because it offers a learning environment where contextualised and authentic assessment can be done. The concepts of collaborative assessment, social interaction and zone of proximal development were important in analysing the research question. Employing a multi-site qualitative case study, data was generated from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data was analyzed using a thematic approach with the help of a Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Atlas.ti v.22). Findings indicate that the libraries conducted assessment for information literacy mainly using formative methods that included brief questionnaires, analysis of user queries, in-class questions, assignments, demonstrations and librarian role-playing (authentic assessment) which improves students’ level of potential development. Summative assessment methods were occasionally employed through the completion of evaluation forms, analysis of usage statistics and examinations. The findings reveal areas of concern—the optional and non-integrated nature of information literacy provision in universities. This paper concludes that assessment methods were less reliable due to their informal nature, but fairly valid in scenarios where real-life information tasks were given to students to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills that they had learnt. To provide evidence for demonstrating the value of libraries’ information literacy instruction to stakeholders, university libraries should integrate information literacy into the curriculum, ensuring assessment becomes an integral part of information literacy programs. Furthermore, incorporating collaborative and authentic assessment practices that replicate real-life challenges faced in the field is recommended for harnessing assessment.

ABSTRACT A Systematic Literature Review of 76 peer-reviewed studies (2020–2024) found that university administrators’ willingness to adopt AI-assisted administration (AAI) depends on personal attitudes, organizational readiness, and legal frameworks. While TAM, UTAUT, and TOE are widely used models, they often overlook cultural and emotional factors relevant in Chinese universities. The Hedonic Motivation System Adoption Model (HMSAM) offers a better fit by emphasizing pleasure and autonomy, especially when technology use is voluntary. The paper identifies the need to use culturally responsive theories and recommends future studies to capture the cognitive, emotional, and organizational complexities of AAI adoption among Chinese university administrators.

This study explores the influence of gendered parenting dynamics on the academic adjustment of pre-service teachers in South-western Uganda. A qualitative design utilising secondary thematic analysis was employed, drawing from focus group discussions with 44 pre-service teachers and interviews with 28 parents and 8 university administrators. The findings reveal a complex interplay of familial and institutional factors. Authoritarian parenting, sharply divided along gendered lines with fathers as distant disciplinarians, often hindered the development of student autonomy. This was compounded by experiences of neglect and financial hardship, which paradoxically served as both a significant barrier to performance and a powerful motivator for "academic proving." Furthermore, students faced systemic institutional challenges like poor timetabling. Despite these obstacles, students demonstrated agency through peer support and skill development. The study concludes that academic adjustment in this context is a negotiation between entrenched familial patterns, socioeconomic pressures, and institutional barriers. It necessitates a multi-stakeholder, ecosystem approach. Recommendations include parental sensitisation, pedagogical reforms, enhanced student counselling, and government action to foster a more supportive educational ecosystem for pre-service teachers

This study explores how failure is understood and within higher education through the perspectives of university administrators at a mid-sized research-intensive institution in Ontario. Using in-depth interviews, the study reveals that failure in higher education exists at the intersection of individual student experiences, institutional structures, and pedagogical approaches. Themes in the discourse surrounding student failure include the fear of failing for the first time, a lack of preparedness for university study, impacts of imposter syndrome, challenges in taking ownership of academic journeys, unique barriers faced by non-traditional students, and institutional barriers that reinforce failure. While failure is promoted as a learning opportunity in higher education, institutional structures and practices often contradict this view with punitive measures that can impact students' academic careers. Building on Carr's pedagogy of failure, this research emphasizes the need for approaches that prioritize emotional well-being, open dialogue, and structured support through failure. One recommendation is to use co-curricular activities, such as Living Learning Communities, as safe spaces for students to experiment with and learn from failure without academic consequences. Overall, institutions need to better support student learning through failure while also highlighting the need to address systemic barriers and provide equitable support for diverse student populations.

Purpose This study investigated sustainability readiness and the adoption of green technologies in Nigerian university libraries. The research was motivated by the growing need for libraries to align with global sustainability goals through environmentally responsible operations. Design Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 327 professional librarians across Nigerian universities through a validated online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses, while Spearman’s correlation and simple linear regression tested the hypotheses. Results Findings revealed that Nigerian university libraries exhibit moderate sustainability readiness, characterized by increasing awareness and managerial support but constrained by weak policy frameworks, inadequate funding and limited infrastructure. Libraries have largely adopted low-cost green practices such as digital resource use and energy-efficient lighting, while more capital-intensive technologies, including renewable energy systems and recycling programs, remain underutilized. The study established a strong, positive and statistically significant relationship between sustainability readiness and the adoption of green technologies. Conclusion The study concludes that Nigerian university libraries are transitioning from conceptual awareness to operational sustainability, though progress remains uneven. It recommends that university administrations develop clear sustainability policies, allocate dedicated funding, and strengthen staff capacity through training. Professional associations and government agencies should also establish regulatory frameworks and partnerships to promote green innovation. These actions will enable libraries to serve as catalysts for environmental responsibility in higher education.

This study examined the factors and strategies for enhancing the informationization leadership of administrators in private art universities in Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China, under the digital era. The objectives were: (1) to identify and develop factors and indicators of informationization leadership, (2) to validate the structural relationship model of informationization leadership using empirical data, and (3) to formulate strategies for its enhancement. The research was conducted in three phases. In Phase 1, factors of administrators’ informationization leadership were explored through literature analysis and a focus group discussion with five experts from Dalian Neusoft University of Information, resulting in the verification of the factors. Phase 2 validated the structural relationship model using empirical data from 340 respondents, selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected via questionnaires with a reliability coefficient of 0.941 and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In Phase 3, strategies were developed based on the model’s analytical results, with input from nine stakeholders from Hebei Academy of Fine Arts and Hebei Institute of Communications through semi-structured interviews. The strategies were evaluated by nine experts in terms of accuracy, propriety, feasibility, and utility. The findings revealed that: (1) informationization leadership of administrators comprised four factors and 17 indicators—Informationization Vision Cultivation, Informationization Professional Practice, Informationization Systemic Improvement, and Digital Citizenship Demonstration; (2) the structural relationship model showed a good fit with empirical data (Chi-square = 59.72, df = 79, p = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.00); and (3) 18 enhancement strategies were developed, all rated at a high level of accuracy, propriety, feasibility, and utility.

ABSTRACT Using a purposive sample of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) (N = 18) in the United States, this study comparatively examined classroom conflict, conflict management strategies, and identity negotiations of Domestic Teaching Assistants (DTAs) and International Teaching Assistants (ITAs). Constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data and findings revealed that conflict occurred because of a) differences in beliefs and expectations and b) violations of course policies. Additionally, DTAs managed conflicts through accountability, support-seeking, and consideration. Findings also indicated that conflict shaped DTAs’ identity negotiation in terms of a) reflections about ideologies and stereotypes and b) reevaluation of identity. The key differences in ITAs’ responses centered on the taken-for-granted assumptions and cultural differences emerging from their home countries and intersecting identities as female, non-U.S. accented, international, and/or people of color. A Conflict-identity negotiation cycle is introduced to explain the interrelationship between identity and conflict. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the role of identity in conflict communication. Practical recommendations on how to support GTAs are suggested to university administrators and graduate programs.

This study investigated information literacy skills and research productivity of female academic staff in selected public universities in South-West, Nigeria. Survey research design of correlative type was adopted, while purposive sampling technique was used to select six (6) universities. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select five hundred and thirty-six (536) female academic staff in the selected universities surveyed. A total of 536 copies of questionnaire were distributed and 413 copies were returned (77.1% response rate) and used for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency count and percentages, mean and standard deviation, while Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was employed to analyze data to test the three hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that the information literacy skills of the surveyed female academic staff were at a moderate level (mean = 2.88), while the research productivity of female academic staff was low (mean = 3.15). The challenges faced by female academic staff in their research productivity included delays in the implementation of promotion and 358 (86.7%), inadequate funding 344 (83.3%), and heavy teaching loads 344 (83.3%). There is no relationship between information literacy skills and research productivity (r = - 0.035; p = 0.473). It is recommended that female academic staff ought to be encouraged to be information literate since some of them could have ideas to boost their research output and the administration of universities should be more receptive to initiatives promoting productivity in forms of publishing other than journal articles.

Many studies have focused on the academic adaptation of Chinese international students studying in Western countries. However, the academic adaptation of these students in Malaysia has received little attention. This paper aims to analyze the challenges faced by Chinese undergraduates in Malaysia and propose key strategies from the perspective of social and digital media support. The research employed qualitative methodologies, comprising eight focus group discussions with 40 Chinese undergraduates from four public and four private Malaysian universities, as well as interviews with six international officials from these institutions. The study revealed that Chinese undergraduates encountered a range of academic challenges, including language barriers, diverse pedagogical approaches, and issues with academic collaboration. These findings have implications for Chinese undergraduates in developing effective strategies to address academic challenges, as well as for higher education institutions and university administrators in Malaysia to increase academic support and services for international students.

This study assessed the sanitary conditions, focusing on waste management and cleanliness practices, in the female hostels of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from a sample of 301 female students, selected via a multistage sampling technique, using a structured questionnaire titled "Sanitary Practices in Female Hostels Questionnaire (SPFHQ)." Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, and an independent samples t-test was used to test the null hypothesis at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that while students generally maintained good personal waste disposal and cleaning habits—such as using covered bins and regularly sweeping their rooms, there were critical deficiencies in waste segregation and participation in structured cleaning rosters. Crucially, the hypothesis test revealed a statistically significant relationship between the effectiveness of the waste management system and overall perceived cleanliness (p < 0.001), with hostels having effective systems reporting markedly higher cleanliness scores. The study concludes that institutional waste management is a pivotal determinant of sanitary conditions. It therefore recommends that the university administration prioritize investments in robust waste management infrastructure and enforce communal cleaning schedules to safeguard student health and well-being.

This study examines Tanzanian university instructors’ views on the shift from English to Kiswahili as the medium of instruction (MoI), comparing language-based and non-language-based instructors. Drawing on Language Planning and Policy Theory and Sociolinguistic Theory, the research examines how social, structural, and personal attitudes shape instructors’ views on language use in higher education. Through a survey of 74 university instructors, we investigated their opinions on the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of adopting Kiswahili as a MoI. The results show that language-based instructors (LBIs) are generally supportive, highlighting how Kiswahili can improve understanding, boost student engagement, and promote cultural identity. In contrast, non-language-based instructors (NLBIs), particularly in technical and scientific fields, expressed cautious support, raising concerns about resources, specialised vocabulary, and alignment with international standards. The study suggests that successfully introducing Kiswahili requires practical steps, such as developing teaching materials, training instructors, and aligning with national education policies. These findings reveal the diverse perspectives across disciplines and the complex realities of implementing language policy in higher education. By understanding these challenges and opportunities, policymakers, university administrators, and educators can make more informed decisions to support effective and culturally relevant language practices in Tanzanian universities.