Department of International Economic relations is honored to represent SumDU in an international project titled “An Integrated Model for Strategic Excellence in Higher Education Institutions” funded within the Erasmus+ programme. The planned project duration is 24 months (31.12.2024 – 30.12.2026). For SumDU, the coordinating team will be represented by Doctor of Economics, Professor Yurii Petrushenko, and Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor Oksana Zamora.
Project consortium consists of:
- Hitit University (Turkiye, coordinator)
- Sumy State University (Ukraine)
- Valencia Technical University
- CHES (Czech Republic)
- Kastamonu University (Turkiye)
The purpose of the research project is to develop a model that plans, executes, and analyzes the outcomes and results of universities’ service areas within the higher education ecosystem through a strategic management approach, revealing its impact on institutional performance. The model aims to measure the academic and administrative performance levels of universities through actionable and trackable sets of actions, integrating these with budgeting and prioritization mechanisms. Additionally, the proposed model is expected to contribute to the transparency and accountability qualities expected from public universities.
In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, the pursuit of strategic excellence has become paramount for institutions aiming to navigate the complexities of aligning strategic management, performance management, and results-based management with their overarching goals and resources. “An Integrated Model for Strategic Excellence in Higher Education Institutions” seeks to address the critical gap often observed in the strategic planning and implementation processes within universities. Many institutions embark on strategic planning without adequately considering the allocation of budgets or effectively leveraging their unique resources, leading to discrepancies between strategic intent and realized outcomes.
Our project offers a governance model called the University Performance Evaluation And Action Model (UPEAM), which aims to develop the institutional capacity of global higher education institutions. This project is of critical importance and needs to be funded, as it supports the efforts of universities around the world to a competitive and sustainable quality of education. The UPEAM Model encompasses more effective strategic planning, quality assessment, continuous improvement and budgeting processes aimed at enhancing institutional capacity. Our project contributes to global co-operation by encouraging innovation and interaction. The pilot implementation of the UPEAM Model can trigger sectoral innovation by enhancing interaction in identifying and implementing university-specific strategic priorities. At the same time, our project aims to develop the skills of university staff and managers to effectively use the UPEAM Model, thus contributing to the continuous development of universities by creating a qualified human resource. The success of the pilot implementation of the UPEAM Model demonstrates its adaptability to other universities around the world. Our project will be a guide not only to our own successful practice, but also to other universities around the world. Given the need to make sustainable progress in terms of quality and effectiveness of the worldwide higher education sector, the successful implementation of our project can make higher education more competitive and internationally recognized.