Open research questions in Higher Education Governance and Development

What the literature leaves open

• 1 December 2025 are scarce or unsafe, the promise of digital inclusion can turn into additional barriers to education, work and services, with cumulative effects on economic autonomy and civic participation. Under such conditions, digitalisation tends to reproduce and even accentuate pre-existing inequalities, especially gender-related ones, when effective user competences, substantive freedoms, safe environments and service continuity are lacking. The trade in counterfeit goods: a global and growing business When looking at the phenomenon of counterfeit goods trade as a whole, evidence and data are limited6. Although data is still limited and incomplete, the consequences of the counterfeit market are clear and include, among other things, damage to the wealth of countries and businesses operating legally, lower tax revenues and job losses, as well as a threat to global health, innovation and public safety.

  The Invisible Architecture of Academic Cooperation: Governance and Quality Between Internationalisation and Accountability · 2026 · DOI

• Strengthening SoTL institutionalisation requires integrated strategies. Centralised units should anchor programmes for coherence and resource support, complemented by faculty-level coordinators or disciplinary CoP to promote local ownership. Clearly articulated goals aligned with institutional missions and local teaching cultures can embed evidence-based SoTL practice while advancing transformative student outcomes. Flexible, inclusive pathways such as mentorship and collaborative projects enable reflective inquiry and foster the scholarship of teaching and learning properly. Embedding resources in core budgets, rather than relying solely on cyclical external grants, is critical for sustainability and a robust SoTL culture.

  SoTL cultures in South African Higher Education and future directions: Insights from a multi-Institutional benchmarking study · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the study’s findings, several policies, institutional, practice-oriented recommendations are proposed to strengthen the role of incentives in promoting pedagogical innovation in higher education. and • At the Policy-Level. National higher education authorities like NCHE should support the development of flexible and innovation-sensitive policy frameworks, particularly for public universities. Greater autonomy in resource allocation, promotion criteria, and performance appraisal would enable institutions to design incentive systems that respond to local innovation needs rather than rigid bureaucratic requirements. coherent that and integrate symbolic • At the Institutional-Level, universities should move beyond donor-dependent incentives and incentive institutionalise frameworks financial, rewards.

  Incentives as Drivers of Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education: Evidence from Uganda · 2026 · DOI

• Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row. Fullan, M. (2020). Leading in a culture of change (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass. Hallinger, P. (2021). Leadership and educational change in higher education institutions. Educational 365–382.

  Academic Leadership Experiences and Administrative Governance in Graduate Education: Northeastern College Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• The findings further highlight the importance of faculty empowerment and inspirational leadership in promoting instructional productivity and professional engagement. Leadership support through mentoring, recognition, and professional development opportunities contributed significantly to faculty morale and institutional productivity. These findings align with Northouse (2021) and Yukl (2020), who emphasized that transformational leadership enhances organizational effectiveness through employee motivation and collaborative engagement. The study also underscores the importance of strategic governance and adaptive leadership in addressing institutional challenges and organizational complexities. Despite communication barriers, workload pressures, and resource limitations, collaborative leadership practices facilitated organizational coordination, institutional problem-solving, and governance effectiveness.

  Academic Leadership Experiences and Administrative Governance in Graduate Education: Northeastern College Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• Participants observed that strategic governance strengthened organizational alignment, policy consistency, and institutional direction. Collaborative planning activities reportedly facilitated effective policy implementation, organizational coordination, and academic program development. The findings suggest that strategic leadership practices contribute significantly to institutional sustainability and organizational effectiveness. Hallinger (2021) emphasized that shared vision and strategic governance strengthen institutional resilience and educational quality. Similarly, Fullan (2020) noted that collaborative strategic planning enhances institutional adaptability and organizational development. Theme 4: Organizational Challenges and Administrative Complexities Despite positive leadership experiences, participants identified several organizational and administrative challenges affecting governance practices in graduate education.

  Academic Leadership Experiences and Administrative Governance in Graduate Education: Northeastern College Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• collaborative planning sessions reportedly cultivated organizational unity and collective accountability. The findings suggest that collaborative governance strengthens institutional cohesion and organizational trust within higher education institutions. These findings support Bush (2020), who emphasized that participatory educational leadership enhances organizational collaboration and governance effectiveness. Similarly, Hallinger (2021) found that collaborative leadership improves institutional adaptability and faculty engagement. Theme 2: Faculty Empowerment and Inspirational Academic Leadership Participants described academic leadership as highly supportive, motivational, and empowering. Administrators emphasized the importance of professional development, mentoring, research engagement, and faculty recognition in strengthening graduate education programs. One participant remarked: “Transformational leaders encourage us to become innovative and professionally committed educators.” Another participant stated: “Faculty members become more productive when leaders provide encouragement and institutional support.” Participants further explained that leadership support through seminars, graduate studies encouragement, mentoring, and capability-building programs contributed significantly to faculty morale and institutional productivity. Recognition and professional support reportedly strengthened faculty confidence and organizational commitment. The findings indicate that transformational leadership positively influences faculty motivation, instructional engagement, and institutional productivity. These findings align with Bass (1985), who emphasized that transformational leaders inspire followers through encouragement, individualized support, and shared vision. Similarly, Northouse (2021) explained that inspirational leadership enhances employee satisfaction and organizational commitment. Theme 3: Strategic Governance and Institutional Decision-Making Participants highlighted that institutional governance and administrative decision-making processes were strongly guided by organizational vision, strategic planning, accreditation objectives, and institutional sustainability goals.

  Academic Leadership Experiences and Administrative Governance in Graduate Education: Northeastern College Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• 3. Methodology 3.1 Research Design The study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research design to examine the lived experiences of academic leaders and administrators regarding leadership and governance practices in graduate education. 3.2 Participants of the Study The participants consisted of graduate school professors, academic coordinators, deans, and college officials from Northeastern College, Santiago City. Purposive sampling was employed to select participants with extensive leadership and administrative experience in graduate education. 3.3 Data Gathering Procedure Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data regarding academic leadership experiences, governance practices, institutional planning, decision-making processes, and organizational challenges. Interviews were audio-recorded with participant consent and transcribed verbatim. 3.4 Data Analysis Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework. Coding procedures involved familiarization, categorization, thematic generation, and interpretation of recurring patterns and themes. 3.5 Ethical Considerations The study observed ethical principles including confidentiality, anonymity, informed consent, and voluntary participation. Participants were informed regarding the purpose and scope of the study before the conduct of interviews.

  Academic Leadership Experiences and Administrative Governance in Graduate Education: Northeastern College Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• 1. Introduction Higher education institutions continuously face organizational, academic, and administrative challenges brought about by globalization, technological advancement, quality assurance demands, and evolving educational reforms. Within this increasingly dynamic educational environment, academic leadership and administrative governance have become essential in ensuring institutional effectiveness, organizational sustainability, and academic excellence. Graduate education institutions, in particular, require effective leadership practices to manage academic programs, strengthen institutional governance, support faculty development, and maintain educational quality standards. In the Philippine context, private higher education institutions significantly contribute to the expansion of graduate education and the development of professional competencies among educators and academic practitioners. Institutional leaders and graduate school administrators are tasked with addressing organizational complexities while ensuring efficient academic governance and institutional development. Effective leadership practices influence faculty engagement, organizational culture, policy implementation, and institutional productivity. Academic leadership extends beyond administrative supervision and involves the capacity to inspire, motivate, and empower organizational members toward achieving shared institutional goals. Transformational leadership theory explains that effective leaders strengthen organizational commitment through collaboration, intellectual stimulation, professional support, and participatory governance (Bass, 1985). Similarly, shared governance emphasizes collective participation and collaborative institutional management among educational stakeholders. Previous studies emphasized that transformational leadership positively influences institutional trust, faculty morale, organizational effectiveness, and academic productivity within higher education institutions (Bush, 2020; Hallinger, 2021). Participatory governance practices have likewise been associated with stronger organizational commitment and institutional adaptability (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2020). However, limited qualitative studies have explored the academic leadership experiences and administrative governance practices among graduate education leaders within private higher education institutions in the Philippine setting. This study explored the academic leadership experiences and administrative governance practices in graduate education from the perspectives of Northeastern College, Santiago City. Specifically, it examined collaborative leadership practices, governance mechanisms, institutional decision-making processes, and organizational challenges encountered by academic leaders and administrators.

  Academic Leadership Experiences and Administrative Governance in Graduate Education: Northeastern College Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• While physical invigilation is preferred as observed from the findings, higher learning institutions may need to adopt hybrid methods of invigilation—use of both physical and electronic means. Using both physical and electronic examination invigilation aids such as cameras and metal detectors may help to minimize academic dishonesty. Furthermore, the suggested method may also help to reduce anxiety among students while improving vigilance among invigilators.

  The Arab Journal for Quality Assurance in Higher Education · 2026 · DOI

• Future research could deepen and extend these findings in several ways. Discourse-analytic or corpus-based studies of the academic Russian register across disciplines could provide finer-grained evidence on how linguistic structure shapes epistemic access and participation and how specific genres (e.g., linguistic resources. lectures, examinations, feedback) privilege certain 214 Journal of International Students 16(8) Longitudinal or mixed-methods designs could trace how bureaucratic load, institutional transparency, and changes in language proficiency influence academic persistence and well-being over time, capturing shifts in Access, Amplification, Authentication, and Awareness across different stages of study. Finally, institutional ethnographies or governance-focused studies could examine how university-level procedures and decision-making routines are experienced by international students and how they might be redesigned to reduce administrative friction. Such studies would clarify how institutional transparency, linguistic mediation, and social support shape resilience and academic success in transnational education and test the usefulness of the 4A framework in other non- Anglophone higher education systems.

  Turkish students’ academic adjustment in Russian-medium degree programs · 2026 · DOI

• Given the value of professional development across the tertiary sector outlined above, it is suggested here that institutions, policy makers and sector bodies consider the integration of learning and teaching qualifications and regulation across the tertiary sector, with a move away from an exclusively school-aligned model for colleges and a more robust regulatory approach to qualification and development in universities. As an interim step it is proposed that accreditation of learning and teaching in the university sector is recognised for registration in the college sector with a longer-term aim being the development of qualifications in ‘Learning and Teaching in Tertiary Education’ that span the post-compulsory sector and have pathways to both professional registration and fellowship. In addition, an evidence-based route to recognition in the college sector should be developed, including work being done to map alignments of the various national professional standards for college lecturers with the PSF. In the university sector consideration should be given to the formalisation of existing accreditation routes through a recognised tertiary teacher status that acknowledges professional expertise (and informed academic freedom), as is the case in all other sectors of education and, indeed, most professional occupations.

  Professional development in a tertiary model – addressing the disconnect between further and higher education · 2026 · DOI

• In the long term, the eastern region may transform its original resource advantages into the continuous aggregation of CFCRS programs and institutions by constantly strengthening its hub position in the global higher education network, while the central and western regions and the northeastern region will be trapped in a vicious circle where both resources and cooperation opportunities are scarce.

  Beyond Scale Expansion: Exploring the Structural Imbalances in China's Transnational Higher Education through the Lens of Resource Dependence Theory · 2026 · DOI

• In this study, I have outlined some of the ways that policy pervasion obtains in different countries around the world, though an empirical study is needed to understand how this policy pervasion is similar to or diverges from that which was explored in Australia, Canada, and the United States (Crumley-Effinger, 2024a). Drilling down to the personal experiences of international students in countries around the world will likely identify new areas in which the student experience is impacted by potentially vastly different ISM policies. This should also include investigating the ways that international students gain knowledge of local ISM policies relevant to their status, as well as how they develop their perceptions of what is or is not permitted and expected of, or risky to, them. It is also critical that such future studies focus on a variety of countries that do and do not host large numbers of international students. Additionally, it is prudent to consider ISM policy at the regional level (including intersections with local and national policy within the region) in studies of policy pervasion; a natural example of this would be the confluence of national and European Union ISM policy and the resultant effects on international students. Empirical and conceptual study of the triplet ideas of authority, agency, and access as they relate to policy pervasion will likely be significant for the continued development and expansion of the utility of policy pervasion, as will comparative, theoretical exploration of the concept to critically consider how it connects with relevant theories in the field. Finally, this article suggests, using examples, that organizational policy pervasion is both present at institutions and a concept that could fruitfully assist with the identification of prospective institutional adjustments to support international students. Empirical studies of the contours of organizational policy pervasion and the utility of the proposed element audit tools are an important next step in the development of this concept.

  Elaborating Policy Pervasion: Personal and Organizational Immigration Policy Impacts · 2026 · DOI

• Future research could address these limitations by incorpo- rating country-level factors, using longitudinal data, and examining the role of digitalization and reporting practices in shaping ESG performance in higher education. Citations per faculty are linked to social and environmental performance but not to governance, indicating that research impact alone does not account for differences in governance scores.

  Institutional characteristics and ESG Performance in higher education institutions: evidence from an international ranking framework · 2026 · DOI

• Tertiary Education and Management1 3 This aspect of EUI has not been addressed in the literature, although it opens interest- ing research implications.

  The European universities initiative through the lens of organisational actorhood: key transformations, challenges, and opportunities for universities of applied sciences and traditional research universities · 2026 · DOI

• Recommendations for quality assurance, recognition, and qualification frameworks & ECTS.

  MICRO-CREDENTIALS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOR QUALITY ASPECTS · 2026 · DOI

• traditional internationalization models that equate global engagement primarily with physical mobility. Recent scholarship increasingly argues that intercultural learning may also emerge locally embedded internationalized curricula, and institutionally integrated intercultural experiences (Guth & Helm, 2017; O’Dowd, 2018 & Beelen, 2021). Such perspectives are particularly relevant for public universities in developing contexts where financial limitations may restrict participation in overseas exchange programs.

  Examining multidimensional internationalization and institutional development in a global south university · 2026 · DOI

• Several directions for future research emerge from this study. Comparative studies involving multiple universities — public and private, large and small, regionally diverse — would help establish whether the stakeholder priority patterns identified here are institution-specific or more broadly generalizable within Turkish higher education. Mixed-methods designs that combine the thematic depth of qualitative analysis with the statistical power of survey-based quantitative approaches could extend these findings and enable more precise measurement of stakeholder satisfaction and alignment. Longitudinal research tracking the same institution across multiple strategic planning cycles would shed light on whether participatory practices strengthen over time and whether stakeholder-identified priorities are meaningfully reflected in revised strategic plans. Finally, future studies might examine the mechanisms by which external stakeholders (local governments, public institutions, private-sector partners) are formally incorporated into university governance structures, an area where this study found significant untapped potential. İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi Journal of Business Research-Turk 1457 O.S. Ozkan – B. Uzum – İ.Ç.

  Voices that Shape Strategy: A Qualitative Case Study of Participatory Management at a Public University · 2026 · DOI

• This section outlines the main limitations of the study and considers how these constraints shape the interpretation of the findings. It also identifies several avenues for future research to deepen and extend the evidence base surrounding faculty segmentation and performance perceptions. 7.1 Design and Regional Scope Although the study provides a detailed view of faculty perceptions across two higher education systems, its cross-sectional design limits the ability to conclude temporal changes in performance orientations. Faculty attitudes may shift in response to policy reforms, leadership transitions, or broader labour market dynamics, none of which can be captured within a single time point. The sample also comes from two countries in the same general region, limiting the generalisability of the findings. Although we did not find substantial differences across national contexts in this study, this does not mean that entirely different segmentation patterns may not emerge from divergent regulatory environments elsewhere. 46 ADMINISTRAȚIE ȘI MANAGEMENT PUBLIC • 46/2026 Faculty segmentation in higher education: Evidence from factor and cluster analyses across different governance contexts in public and private universities Future research across additional governance systems would therefore help clarify how institutional design and regulatory environments shape faculty responses to performance regimes. 7.2 Measurement Considerations The analysis relies exclusively on self-reported perceptions, which are subject to individual interpretation and potential bias. While the use of validated Likert-scale items strengthens internal consistency, binary and open-ended responses were excluded from the reliability and factor analyses because they do not conform to the psychometric assumptions required. Their exclusion means that some contextual nuances—particularly those conveyed through narrative comments—do not directly inform the latent structure. Moreover, although the factor scores underpin the segmentation, they reflect perceived rather than objective performance or productivity. 7.3 Directions for Extension These limitations give rise to several future research directions. Longitudinal studies might track faculty movement between clusters over time and provide evidence of stability (or responsiveness to policy interventions) for each faculty characteristic group. Extending the analysis to additional higher education systems or other professional public organizations could provide deeper insight into how governance structures shape performance perceptions. Methodologically, one could try different clustering methods, such as Gaussian Mixture Models or density-based approaches (e.g., DBSCAN) , to see whether the same profiles emerge under alternative assumptions. Lastly, connecting cluster membership to behavioral or institutional outcomes (e.g., retention, research productivity, and student evaluations) would help illuminate how these profiles manifest as measurable contributions.

  Faculty Segmentation in Higher Education: Evidence from Factor and Cluster Analyses Across Different Governance Contexts in Public and Private Universities · 2026 · DOI

• Furthermore, the focus on external stakeholders means that internal university perspectives, such as those of leadership, academic staff, or students, remain underexplored. Further investigation into the institutional mechanisms that sustain long-term partnerships, the systematization of participatory methodologies, and the development of evaluation frameworks for civic engagement would also contribute to advancing the understanding of the civic university within regional knowledge ecosystems.

  Revisiting the Civic University in Europe: Comparative Insights from Poland, Portugal, and Sweden · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the conclusions the following recommendations are forwarded for govern- ment, universities, and industries to enhance and effectively implement UIL. Government: • Review and update the regulatory and legal framework governing university-industry linkages (UILs) to address the identified challenges and enable more effective collaboration. Increase funding and resource allocation for UIL activities, including research infrastructure, technology transfer offices, and incentives for faculty engagement. • Align policies and programs with expectations and priorities between universities • and industry partners. • Promote better communication and information-sharing platforms to facilitate and develop mutual understanding among universities and industries. Universities: • Strengthen institutional support and resources for UIL activities, such as dedicated technology transfer offices, industry liaison roles, and streamlined administrative processes. • Provide professional development opportunities for faculty to enhance their skills in managing UIL projects, navigating regulatory requirements, and addressing institutional challenges. • Foster a culture that values and incentivizes faculty engagement in UIL activities, • aligning with promotion and tenure criteria. Improve communication and information-sharing mechanisms between university departments and industry partners to align expectations and identify collaborative opportunities. Industry: • Actively engage with universities to understand their research capabilities, expertise, and potential collaborative opportunities. • Participate in the development of UIL policies and programs, ensuring that industry needs and priorities are reflected. • Allocate dedicated resources and personnel to manage UIL projects, fostering stronger partnerships and knowledge exchange. • Provide feedback and input to universities on the relevance and impact of UIL activities, helping to align research and innovation with industry needs. Gemeda et al. Discover Global Society (2026) 4:57 Page 17 of 18 By addressing these key recommendations, government, universities, and industry can work together to enhance the effectiveness of UIL, foster innovation, and drive eco- nomic development.

  The impact of university-industry nexus on Ethiopian public universities: examining the challenges and opportunities · 2026 · DOI

• The findings showed limited knowledge usage across policy documents and demonstrated inconsistencies across the types of knowledge used. The same consultation was lacking in EDI plans, which omitted to acknowledge, then, the colo- nial history that has contributed to systemic EDI barriers in Canada in the first place.

  What Knowledge Informs Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policies? Perspectives from Canadian Colleges · 2026 · DOI

• Originality/value Given that aggregate data provides limited information on how students are distributed across various education levels, forecasts are specifically designed to estimate the enrolment divided by ISCED levels in tertiary education.

  A replication of “Confucian” model? Predicting higher education enrolments in China between 2024 and 2035 · 2026 · DOI

• While gender and racial inequalities in academia are well-documented (Bhopal and Pitkin, 2020; Rollock, 2019; Ahmed, 2019; Morley, 2014), the specific experiences of ASAW and their access to informal academic networking spaces remain underexplored.

  Networked inequality: The impact of informal practices on recruitment in higher education · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Higher Education Governance and Development

• A History of American Higher Education · The Journal of Higher Education · 1986 · 845 citations
• COVID-19 and digital disruption in UK universities: afflictions and affordances of emergency online migration · Higher Education · 2020 · 653 citations
• The Third Mission of the university: A systematic literature review on potentials and constraints · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · 2020 · 643 citations
• Organizational Socialization in Higher Education · The Journal of Higher Education · 1997 · 616 citations
• Rules of the Game: The Place of Institutions in Regional Economic Change · Regional Studies · 2010 · 350 citations
• High Participation Systems of Higher Education · The Journal of Higher Education · 2016 · 302 citations
• Higher education development, technological innovation and industrial structure upgrade · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · 2020 · 252 citations
• An Assessment of Supply and Demand-side Theorizations of International Student Mobility · International Migration · 2010 · 210 citations
• Higher education contributing to local, national, and global development: new empirical and conceptual insights · Higher Education · 2020 · 204 citations
• Global Social Responsibility and the Internationalisation of Higher Education for Society · Journal of Studies in International Education · 2021 · 172 citations

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