Competitiveness Of Universities Research Articles

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY'S ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

The article is devoted to the strategic management of universities' economic sustainability in the context of digital transformations. The study examines the main approaches to ensuring the economic sustainability of higher education institutions, which are particularly relevant in the era of globalization and technological change. The impact of digitalization on university management processes is analyzed, focusing on the integration of advanced technologies, resource optimization, and increased financial efficiency. The role of digital tools in reducing the costs of educational services, improving management processes, and enhancing the competitiveness of universities is explored. A comprehensive model of strategic management of economic sustainability is proposed, encompassing financial flow assessment, cost management, investment analysis in digital technologies, and their integration into university development strategies. The model aims to enhance resilience to economic challenges, ensure stability, and increase competitiveness in the educational services market.

古谱改编诗词在台传唱情形初探 - 以“为毛泽东录诗词”为讨论对象

This paper explores the formation and dissemination of the recordings of “Poems Recorded for Mao Zedong” from 1975, as described in the autobiographies of Yue Meiti and Cai Yaoxi. With the publication of the Kunqu Art Encyclopedia Audio-Visual Collection, scholars now have greater opportunities to personally listen to these highly pleasant poetry recordings.The “Kunqu Art Compendium Audio-Visual Collection” includes a set of recordings of lyrics and songs produced by relevant central departments for Mao Zedong. Many of the original scores were derived from the “Jiugong Dacheng Southern and Northern Ci Score” and the “Suijin Ci Score”. These recordings were performed by renowned actors such as Yue Meiti, Cai Yaoxian, and Li Yuanhua in 1975-1976. Later, Li Yuanhua and Cai Yaoxian included many of the poems and lyrics they learned at that time in their individual albums. These recordings eventually made their way through Hong Kong to Taiwan, where they were sung in university competitions under the “University Joint Poetry Recitations” from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Some pieces are still performed today, becoming classic songs passed down orally among poetry societies at various universities in Taiwan.

University competitiveness leagues: motivating mechanism of network development

The article is devoted to the analysis of the formation of university networks and the justification of a possible mechanism of their development through the introduction of university competitiveness leagues. For this purpose, the real processes of differentiation and integration of global, regional, and national networks of higher education institutions are considered. The immanent structuring of whole networks is shown with the use of rating, classification, association assessment mechanisms. It is argued that networks are objectively stratified into strata of institutions of equivalent competitiveness, which is not fully taken into account in the development of policies and implementation of higher education development practices. At the same time, the legislation, which puts de facto different institutions in essentially equal conditions, demotivates movement to the heights of competitiveness within the framework of a heterogeneous network. In particular, in Ukraine, the former practice of dividing higher education institutions according to I-IV accreditation levels has been eliminated by law, another gradation of universities by dividing them into national and research universities is not implemented. Instead, the new Ukrainian legislative field is not oriented to take into account the real systemic demarcation of institutions, to special support for competitive university development, and to promote the transition to a higher level of competitiveness. It is shown that under the Bologna Process for 25 years and in the perspective until 2030, no effective mechanism of consideration and targeted support of universities with different competitive status has been proposed. The Tirana Ministerial Conference of 2024 removed from the agenda the implementation of the second (external) dimension of the European Higher Education Area regarding the achievement of «competitiveness and attractiveness». From now on, in perspective, this space is considered only in one (internal) dimension as «compatible and comparable». Such a reduction of the Bologna Process is inconsistent with all previous ministerial documents (from the Bologna Declaration to the Rome Communiqué), reduces its effectiveness, in particular with regard to mobility and cooperation, and ultimately creates the risk of a decrease in the interest of countries with leadership higher education as well, as top universities, in it. This simplification of the Bologna Process is contrary to modern EU policy on enhncement economic competitiveness, including Budapest Declaration on the New Europe Competitive Deal. In order to motivate the constant and consistent progress of universities to the most advanced states, it is proposed to standardize and practically implement university competitiveness leagues within the national and European networks of higher education institutions, which would include institutions of a parity level of development. This will contribute to the competitiveness and attractiveness of European higher education in general and especially to increase the contribution of Ukrainian universities to the country’s defence capability and post-war recovery, and further European integration of Ukraine as a strong state to a strong Europe.

Transformation of Scientific Reference Management: Mendeley Socialization for Magister Management Students at Tridinanti University

The ability to manage scientific references systematically is one of the important skills for postgraduate students to support the preparation of quality scientific work. The socialization program for using Mendeley software is designed to improve the understanding and skills of Magister Management students at Tridinanti University in reference management. This activity involved 30 participants and was carried out through a structured approach, including theory sessions, direct practice and mentoring. The program results showed a significant increase in participants' understanding, from an average score of 2.1 to 4.1 (scale 1-5), as well as the success of 93% of participants in completing the final assignment correctly. Participants are able to utilize Mendeley's main features, such as library grouping, automatic citation, and compiling a bibliography in a predetermined format. Despite technical obstacles, such as unstable internet connections and incomplete reference metadata, the program was well received by participants, with 88% recommending this training for ongoing implementation. This training has proven effective in supporting students academic tasks and building a technology-based academic culture at Tridinanti University. For sustainability, integration of training into the regular curriculum and provision of follow-up sessions are proposed as strategic steps. This program is expected to improve the academic quality of students while supporting Tridinanti University's competitiveness at national and international levels.

A DEA-based Malmquist Productivity Index for Analysing University Performance and Competitiveness

Objective: To conduct a comparative analysis of university performance and competitiveness for leading Polish and Ukrainian universities using the constant returns to scale (CRS) results-oriented model and DEA-based Malmquist productivity index. Research Design & Methods: Using the CRS results-oriented model and DEA-based Malmquist productivity index, an assessment of the efficiency of Polish and Ukrainian higher education institutions in 2019–2021 has been carried out. Sources of data include reports from university rectors, international educational rankings and data from the SciVal Scopus database. The use of input and output indicators, which characterise the didactic and research activities of universities and affect their efficiency, has been justified. Input indicators are the number of university teachers, total university costs calculated per employee, total university costs calculated per student, and output indicators including the number of graduates, the annual number of employee publications in Scopus indexed journals, and the number of citations of employee publications according to SciVal Scopus. Findings: First, the productivity of some Polish and Ukrainian universities differ, as do the factors of the growth of that productivity. Second, more reputable universities (including benchmarking units) have less potential for productivity growth than less productive regional universities. The relevance of the results obtained was guaranteed by the size of the group of universities analysed. That number was larger than the minimum for maintaining a sufficient number of degrees of freedom. Implications / Recommendations: As a result of analysis with the application of performance-oriented CRS model and Malmquist index, it was found that large reputable universities have less potential for productivity growth (this applies to benchmarking units mainly in Poland). Ukrainian universities are not only more diversified in terms of indicator dynamics, but have greater reserves of productivity growth. Contribution: The article contributes to the scientific literature on university performance and the evaluation of competitiveness. The use of the CRS model and Malmquist index in the analysis of university competitiveness enables better characterisation and evaluation of the input and output indicators, identify benchmarking units and productivity growth reserves.

Effective Strategic Management of Kyrgyzstan Universities Through Monitoring and Quality Assurance Systems

In the context of globalization and changing requirements for formal services, the Kyrgyz Republic is faced with the need for a progressive university management system. This article analyzes the role of the monitoring system and quality assurance in increasing the competitiveness of universities, which ensures sustainable development and adaptation to the international standard. It is shown that the use of tools allows you to track the weaknesses of the educational process, make strategic decisions, and improve academic reputation. Special attention is paid to using the experience of universities in Kyrgyzstan and countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which helps to identify approaches for implementing effective strategies in the post-Soviet educational space.

Шлях до національного лідерства: осмислення 25-річного становлення Інституту вищої освіти НАПН України

In the article, from the positions of the director (2006-2012), part-time chief researcher and member of the academic council (since 2006), national higher education reform expert (since 2009), the features of the 25-year history of Institute of Higher Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, which founded in the context of global, regional and national development of higher education, its quantitative growth and qualitative enrichment, efficiency of activity are considered. The stages and aspects of the modernization of the institutional mission (goal) and the corresponding status and structural reformatting of the institution as a national leader in systematic research in the university sphere are highlighted. The most important fundamental achievements obtained with the author’s participation and relevant for the science of universities (university studies), that born in the institute, as well as for creation of leadership universities as locomotives of progress, are noted. With regard to European integration, the scientific support for the development of the European Higher Education Area according to the Bologna process, Ukraine’s participation in them, in particular in two key dimensions: 1) compatibility and comparability and 2) competitiveness and attractiveness, and the spread of international cooperation and communication of the institute’s scientists, are characterized. Regarding national self-identification and self-sufficiency, ensuring state sovereignty, the contribution of scientists of the institution to the justification of the principles of increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian universities and the development of a strategy for creating world-class universities is shown. It was concluded that the research activity of the staff of the scientific institution is important for the approaching victory in the war started by the russian federation, increasing the defence capability and security, post-war innovative recovery and European integration of Ukraine.

The Role of Program and Project Management in Increasing the Competitiveness of Russian Universities: A Comparative Analysis Including China and India

The Role of Program and Project Management in Increasing the Competitiveness of Russian Universities: A Comparative Analysis Including China and India

Keys to managing university reputation from the students’ perspective

University reputation is a decisive factor in the management, positioning, sustainability, competitiveness, differentiation, and success of universities. However, the measurement of university performance is often communicated through international rankings, which are frequently criticized for not considering the student's perception, who is the primary user of the educational service. For this reason, the objective is to analyze how students' experiences and their perceived value of the educational process influence the final reputation of universities in two different contexts: Colombia and Spain. Additionally, the results of these relationships are contrasted with the cultural differences and educational systems of both countries. The methodology used is quantitative by means of the formulation and demonstration of a structural equation model, with 385 surveys collected from undergraduate students in Colombia and 333 from undergraduate students in Spain. The results confirmed that student experience influences both perceived value and reputation, and perceived value influences the reputation of the university, likewise, the student experience has an indirect effect on reputation through perceived value, with consistent findings in both countries.

Exploration of the Current Situation and Mechanism Innovation of University Education Management under the New Situation

In the new era, university education management should be oriented toward the cultivation of innovative talents and the construction of a comprehensive education system. It should develop capable and qualified higher-level talents in response to the social demand for talent application, thereby enhancing the overall educational competitiveness of universities and driving deep reforms in educational activities. However, in current educational practice, efficient educational management often focuses on curriculum development and cultural education, with insufficient attention paid to the development of students’ comprehensive literacy. The talent cultivation and education programs are not yet perfect. This article explores the current situation of university education management activities under the new situation and considers practical methods for innovating university education management mechanisms.

Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for Twice-Exceptional Students With Autism

Academically talented students with autism, also known as twice-exceptional students with autism (2eASD), are increasingly identified in school. These students present challenges to educators who attempt to plan and implement successful instructional opportunities, as teachers’ knowledge and use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students identified with 2eASD vary. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify current practices used by 10 high-school content and special education teachers who teach these students, as well as their recommendations for postsecondary institutions for these students. The findings suggest high-school teachers support the use of differentiated, strength-based individualized instruction for college-bound students with 2eASD, but are generally unable to offer specific examples of how these practices are implemented in their special education or content classrooms. In addition, they seldom focus on the strengths and talents of this population in their classrooms and fail to recommend competitive colleges for their consideration.

Transformational Leadership and Non-Teaching Staffs’ Job Satisfaction in Selected Private Higher Educational Institutions

To better enhance the competitiveness of private colleges and universities, especially in the case of fewer and fewer students, the soft power of human resources is particularly important. Thus, research on private colleges and universities is of great significance to promoting the development of higher education in Sichuan and even the entire western region. The research found that the job satisfaction of employees was closely positively correlated with the four aspects of transformational leadership (idealized influence, inspiration motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration), and the needs for transformational leadership were different for different educational levels, age groups, and professional titles. The study showed that the higher the educational level and professional title, the stronger their demand for transformational leadership, and vice versa; in terms of age and years of work, the older and longer the staff had, the lower their demand for transformational leadership and the lower their scores. They had a fixed mindset and were more inclined to a stable leadership style. On the other hand, the study found that the job satisfaction of administrative staff was significantly affected by leadership style, that is, they had a significant correlation, among which relationship satisfaction had the highest correlation, followed by satisfaction with the environment and welfare, and then the satisfaction with personal growth and progress. The lowest correlation was the satisfaction with the work itself. This is mainly because transformational leaders have a sense of responsibility, motivate and inspire employees, guide employees, and pay attention to the balance between work and life, which evaluates various standards relatively high. The research results are helpful to promote the improvement of transformational leadership in private universities, and then improve employee satisfaction.

Environmental Factors, Undergraduate Science Education Students’ Achievement, and Interest in Nigeria Universities: Implications for Funding

This study investigated the effects of environmental factors on the academic performance and interest of undergraduate scientific education students in Nigerian universities, as well as the funding implications. A descriptive survey research design was used in the study. The study included 270 final-year undergraduate students from the Department of Science Education at two Nigerian universities: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Both universities are located in the sixth state of Anambra. The study used a sample of 161 students, 56 of whom were male and 105 of whom were female, that was drawn by chance sampling methods. Three experts verified the questionnaire, which was used as the data gathering tool. Using the Cronbach Alpha formula, the dependability of 0.90 was determined. The hypothesis was examined using t-test statistics at the 0.05 level of significance, and the research topic was addressed using mean and standard deviation. The study's conclusions showed that, while gender had no discernible impact on how science education students responded to the aforementioned environmental factors, socioeconomic background, good school infrastructure, extracurricular activities, class size, accommodations, attitudes of teachers and parents, appropriate teaching methods, and poor lighting in school buildings and hostels could all affect students' interest and achievement in science education at universities. Further strategies for enhancing the environmental elements that affect academic achievement and interest of science education students in universities include the government's and alumni's funding of science labs and infrastructure, fostering university competition, using appropriate teaching methods, and properly citing of schools.

Modernization of the Motivation Systems in Higher Education: Challenges and Digital Solutions

The motivation of academic staff in higher education institutions has become a critical issue, particularly in the context of rapid digital transformation. Faculty motivation is a crucial factor influencing the quality of education, research productivity, and the performance of universities. This study aimed to identify the main factors influencing motivation and to develop recommendations for educational institutions to enhance staff motivation. The research utilized bibliometric analysis through the VOSviewer program to explore relationships between core motivational factors. Initial data were collected via the ePORTAL system, which aggregates comprehensive information about faculty activities, including publications, participation in scientific projects, and teaching performance. The findings suggest that the current motivational systems in Kazakhstan's higher education institutions require significant modernization. Key challenges include insufficient financial support, excessive bureaucratic procedures, and limited career development opportunities. Moreover, adopting digital tools like ePORTAL can enhance the transparency and objectivity of assessing teaching staff performance, providing more substantial incentives for professional growth. The study offers recommendations for university management of educational institutions to increase academic staff motivation that can be adapted to each educational institution's unique profile and priorities. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of digitalization on teaching quality and explore how motivation strategies can be fine-tuned to address regional and institutional disparities. Such efforts will ensure faculty development aligns with national and international educational standards, ultimately enhancing the competitiveness and effectiveness of universities in a global context.

Integrasi Analytic Network Processing dan Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution sebagai Perancangan Strategi dalam Meningkatkan Daya Saing pada Perguruan Tinggi XYZ

Seizing consumer preferences is crucial for organisations amidst increasingly intense competition. Success in this competition depends on the product's ability to fulfil customer needs and wants. All universities in Indonesia are faced with similar challenges, namely how to formulate and plan for their future in the face of ever-evolving societal changes. To respond to this challenge, it is necessary to develop a strategy that increases the competitiveness of universities. From the literature review, the criteria for increasing the competitiveness of the XYZ Institute are obtained, namely, product, price, place, promotion, people, process, physical evidence. Each criterion, through the brainstorming, is broken down into sub-criteria. The process to determine the right strategy design can be done in many methods, and among them are the ANP (Analytical Network Process) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. The results of weighting the criteria using the ANP method using the Super Decisions software are then ranked using the TOPSIS method. The result is that the three best strategies are to improve the Product, namely, Alumni Quality (score 0.713397108), followed by improving Promotion, namely, the Institute accreditation score (score 0.709584147) and the People aspect, namely, student input selection (score 0.704887758).

The problems of university messages in communication with applicants

The types of university communications and the interest of applicants in them are investigated. It is based on the analysis of the Internet survey conducted by the author in the summer of 2023 for applicants to Nizhny Novgorod universities. The interdependence between the style of message texts and their attractiveness to applicants is considered; a hierarchy, according to the target audience, of the university's message signs is proposed. The author has designed the process of receiving a message from an applicant from a university and explain the specifics of these communication processes due to the influence of increased competitiveness of universities for the attention of applicants and the intergenerational gap between university staff and future students, which provides a basis for studying the values of representatives of generation Z. Characteristics of representatives of the younger generation are given, the understanding of «clip thinking» and its influence will be revealed for the receipt and processing of information from the university in the Internet space. Depending on the types of messages that are of interest to future students, the author proposes a typologization of applicants. The multidimensional scaling method used by the author will allow us to identify 4 types of applicants who pay attention to different types of messages from the university, which leads them to different degrees of readiness for admission and the choice of their future profession.

Политэкономическая оценка продвижения системы образования в России в условиях становления цифровой экономики

The article reviews a political-economic analysis of the growing dynamics of the education system in Russia, using the example of higher education in the creative solutions of the digital economy. The author examines the economics of education from the political economy view. The evolution of targets in higher education is presented. When comparing definitions of higher education targets, they provide two mutually related, but competing functions of higher school: the role of higher education in the teaching workforce for all economic sectors and the general intellectual growing of a creative, socialized personality. The nature of economic interests in the higher education system is determined. Market economy and democratic society principles imply models of competitive harmony in economic interests of higher education. The educational product is analyzed from the principle of diglossia as a public and private benefit. In the near future, a combination of fee and free higher education in Russia is inevitable. However, the share of fee-paying educational services of universities will dramatically increase. The analysis confirms academic steps to create a scientific product in the digital economy. Competition of universities in the market of scientific products for receiving profitable contracts with firms and corporations stimulates universities to increase their rankings. The conclusion shows the inconsistency of the dynamics of the development of the education system of Russia in the digital economy. An important contradiction is in the prevalence of political decisions free from long-term socio-economic consequences.

Case Study on the Allocation of Budget by Local Government for Regional University Competitiveness

Case Study on the Allocation of Budget by Local Government for Regional University Competitiveness

The Influence of Knowledge Development on Good University Governance in Indonesian Universities

The implementation of Good University Governance (GUG) is anticipated to enhance transparency, accountability, university performance, and elevate the competitiveness of universities to international levels. Despite these expectations, the current implementation of GUG in Indonesia falls short. This research specifically focuses on examining the impact of Knowledge Development (KD) on GUG in public universities in Indonesia, utilizing the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory. The study population comprises public universities in Indonesia under the Directorate General of Higher Education of Indonesia (DIKTI). The sampling method employed is cluster sampling. The collected data are processed using SPSS for descriptive analytics and SmartPLS. The results indicate a positive and significant effect of KD on GUG. In essence, these findings align with the RBV theory, asserting that university capabilities contribute to enhancing overall university performance. Additionally, suggestions have been proposed for future research to expand the study’s scope by investigating other variables that may potentially influence Good University Governance (GUG) and university performance.

Current Situation and Development Countermeasures of Internal Audit in Colleges and Universities

With the continuous development and reform of the market economy, colleges and universities have gradually become independent educational and scientific research units based on the market. The number of colleges and universities is increasing gradually, which also leads to the fiercer competition among colleges and universities. In order to enhance the core competitiveness of colleges and universities, we need to do a good job in internal audit, but there are still drawbacks in the management stage. Based on the above reasons, this paper first expounds the current situation of internal audit in colleges and universities, explores the audit management plan in the process of its development, in order to provide some suggestions for the management of colleges and universities.