Explore publications.

South African state universities provide aspiring professionals with pertinent undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications that enable youth to follow particular career paths. The obstacle for public colleges lies in their need to sustain financial viability amidst restricted public financing. There exists proof of enduring structural disparities between historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) and historically advantaged institutions (HAIs). These disparities have not been investigated in existing research through longitudinal studies. This research evaluates the fiscal viability of two Higher Degree Institutions and two Higher Education Institutions by analysing audited financial reports from 2019 to 2023. Financial ratios assessing liquidity, solvency, efficiency, and operational sustainability were computed and analysed via Resource Dependence Theory (RDT). The findings indicate persistent discrepancies between HDIs and HAIs. HDIs had diminished liquidity standings, increased borrowing, and constrained capacity to produce operating surpluses. Healthcare-associated infections typically possess more robust financial statements due to their varied revenue sources and increased reserves. Nevertheless, all institutions are experiencing heightened financial strain, accompanied by diminished surpluses over the duration. The results suggest a reliance on a limited number of financing sources. This intense dependence on restricted funding sources correlates with diminished financial robustness and increased vulnerability to operational risk. The research indicates that enhancing financial sustainability requires an evaluation of institutional regulations and a novel strategy for generating revenue streams. Universities are advised to enhance their financial governance and diversify their income streams beyond a limited number of sources. If structural reforms are not implemented, financial disparities among these universities are expected to continue, threatening the long-term stability of the higher education industry. These results indicate that in the absence of a significant alteration in income allocation, the inherent financial disparity between HDIs and HAIs would intensify, jeopardising the enduring institutional stability of South Africa's higher education system.

Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) play a pivotal role in advancing the performance and standards of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) following the completion of CHE Institutional Audits and internal Programme Reviews Evaluations (PREs). This study explores the effectiveness of the QIP by investigating its impact across critical areas, including curriculum development, infrastructure, student-centred practices, innovation and entrepreneurship, government support, technology, and collaborations and partnerships. As higher education continues to evolve, the successful implementation of the QIP is vital for fostering academic excellence, institutional growth, and global competitiveness. This study addresses the following questions: What factors influence the success of QIP implementation in HEIs? How can QIP initiatives be optimised to achieve strategic goals? What are the measurable outcomes of these initiatives on institutional performance?

University Professional Staff (UPS) [administrators, secretaries, and operations managers] perform important managerial duties but are excluded from career promotion that are usually evaluated using academic criteria despite showing excellence in administration. This systemic paradox causes career stagnation, unclear promotion pathways, and undervaluation of their complex contributions, mainly evident in South African higher education institutions (HEIs). This study investigated the barriers impeding UPS career progression, examined their hybrid academic-administrative roles, and explored implications for institutional equity and effectiveness within HEIs. This qualitative study used purposive sampling to select 11 UPS from South African HEIs. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews on career development and promotion challenges. Thematic content analysis was used and identified main themes. Ethical clearance confirmed confidentiality and voluntary involvement. Trustworthiness was protected using member checking and reflexivity to accurately capture participants’ lived experiences and institutional realities. Eleven UPS respondents generated four themes: role perception, institutional support, academic-administrative divide, and social-emotional duties. Participants described complex, developing roles but career inertia due to uncertain promotion criteria and minimal recognition. Institutional support was inconsistent, with limited training and ambiguous career pathways. The divide between academic and UPS staff persists, alongside unrecognized emotional labour, prompting calls for transparent promotion processes and structured career development. UPS undertake multifaceted administrative, managerial, and emotional roles that are undervalued within HEIs. Career progression is hindered by unclear promotion criteria, institutional barriers, and an academic-administrative divide. Training and career development opportunities are inadequate and unevenly accessible. To address these issues, institutions should clarify promotion processes, establish formal career pathways, enhance support programs, foster collaboration between academic and UPS staff, and recognize social-emotional labour. Future research should track career impacts over time and explore interventions to promote UPS equity and development.

This study aims to empirically analyze the three key pillars of university financial sustainability—revenue-generating activities, good financial governance, and IT capabilities—with performance, age, and size as control variables. Using a survey method targeting private universities in Indonesia, data were collected from financial leadership representatives across 14 provinces, yielding 627 valid responses. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among variables. The results reveal significant positive effects of good financial governance on financial sustainability, IT capabilities on financial sustainability and revenue-generating activities on financial sustainability. Furthermore, revenue-generating activities have a strong positive impact on both good financial governance and IT capabilities. The analysis also identifies IT capability as a mediating variable between revenue-generating activities and financial sustainability, as well as between good financial governance and financial sustainability. These findings underscore the strategic role of technology-based governance in enhancing the financial resilience of higher education institutions. Accordingly, the study recommends strengthening the three pillars of financial sustainability—revenue diversification, sound governance practices, and robust IT capabilities—to ensure long-term institutional sustainability.

There has been intense scrutiny about the design and delivery of curricula in South Africa higher education institutions. Various policies and laws have been established to ensure that the South African higher education contributes to the transformation agenda of the nation. This study contributes to this debate by examining how the South African higher education policies contribute to the transformation of curriculum to meet contemporary socioeconomic needs. The study employs a systematic literature review to synthesise current evidence and adopts a morphogenetic approach to explore how existing frameworks, such as the Higher Education Act of 1997 and the White Paper for Post-School Education and Training (2014), have shaped the curriculum design and implementation processes in South African universities. The paper begins by discussing the internationalisation of higher education curricula and highlights the need for graduates to develop global competencies. It further examines the role of the South African internationalisation policy in preparing students for the global economy. The research also addresses how policy gaps, such as the inadequate focus on decolonisation and the lack of alignment with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), impact the effectiveness of curriculum transformation efforts. The findings reveal that despite numerous policy frameworks and strategic documents, there remains a disconnect between the goals of higher education policies and the practical realities of curriculum design and delivery. This disconnect contributes to the numerous challenges in the higher education sector, manifested through student protests and dissatisfaction with the relevance of academic programs. The paper concludes that a more nuanced approach to curriculum reform is necessary, one that bridges policy intentions with practical outcomes through continuous dialogue among universities, the government, and industry stakeholders.

The arrival of foreign nationals in Indonesia for various purposes, including state visits, tourism, business, and education, has become common. This study aims to analyze the factors influencing the application process for study permits for foreign nationals and map the ecosystem of this process, particularly for those studying at Indonesian universities. The research follows a five-step method to analyze the digital business ecosystem: 1) defining the ecosystem boundaries; 2) identifying actors and their roles; 3) outlining value propositions; 4) exploring actor interactions; and 5) verifying the ecosystem design. Using qualitative methods like interviews and literature review, the study finds that Indonesia's foreign student licensing ecosystem involves multiple actors and complex procedures, leading to delays and confusion. The lack of integration between agencies makes the process inefficient. The study suggests digital integration to enhance speed, transparency, and coordination, aiding the internationalization of higher education in Indonesia.

The study examined important external elements that have an impact on the technical universities (TUs) in Ghana's entrepreneurial financial governance methods. It highlights the difficulties TUs have managing their finances and the critical role that entrepreneurial finance plays in overcoming these financial limitations. A questionnaire was used by respondents as the data gathering tool in the researcher's quantitative investigation. Purposive sampling was utilised in the study to choose the 160 respondents that participated. According to the study, external environmental factors like political and economic factors, regulatory boundaries set by the state, competition between TUs, insufficient budgetary allocation, inefficient financial monitoring systems, and a lack of dynamic capabilities all have a significant impact on entrepreneurial financial governance strategies. According to the study, technical universities (TUs) in Ghana can increase revenue production, augment government financing, and satisfy their objective of offering high-quality education by applying creative initiatives and improving financial governance processes. This study offers policymakers and key stakeholders in the education sector useful insights to improve the financial sustainability and performance of Technical Universities (TUs) in Ghana. It does this by doing a thorough examination of the external environment and its impact on financial governance initiatives. Through an analysis of the effects of political and economic variables, insufficient budgetary provisions, and inadequate financial monitoring frameworks, this research highlights the imperative for Technical Universities in Ghana to give special consideration to these external elements

This study aims to determine the influence of corporate governance on performance of Public Universities in Kenya. The study was anchored on social network theory. To achieve the objective, the study was based on a pragmatic philosophy and mixed research design with a target population of 234 University top managers. Primary data was collected using a 5 point Likert type questionnaire and an interview guide. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that corporate governance had significantly statistical influence on performance of public universities in Kenya. This study concluded that adherence to good corporate governance practices are essential strategies Public Universities can use in their endeavour to improve on their performance. It is further recommended that University top managers should adhere to good corporate governance practices, specifically to management guidelines, allow for public participation and be transparent in their actions. Further, the results present important implications to University top managers, other corporate entities, policy makers, and stakeholders in the University education sector in Kenya and across the world.