Development co-operation

Higher Education Management (DIES)

In almost all developing countries, the higher education sector grows rapidly. Moreover, it is especially in this sector that several developments are overlapping:  On one hand, the demand for academically educated employees, who can compete in the overall global contest is steadily increasing, and on the other hand, the number of the secondary school graduates grows, because there is an overall increase in the college-age population.

Even if the expansion of the state funded higher education sector progresses rapidly, it still lags behind the even faster increasing demand. The political pressure on government officials to create additional study places, although the necessary funding is not available, continuously grows stronger. In addition, the number of private higher education institutions escalates rapidly. However, without an intelligent quality assurance regulation, there are alongside the exclusive and expensive institutions, a vast number of "garage universities" emerge that are of doubtful quality. 

• DIES Projects to create quality assurance systems 
  

The higher education institutions react: they are starting to utilize their resources more intelligently, and they expand their offers continuously. They oppose the trend for watered-down quality through political pressure for new international quality certification; and they are starting to raise third party funds to an astonishing degree. They establish sustainable networks with international partners, also to learn from each other regarding effective higher education management.  

• DIES Partnerships
  

The science ministries react: under enormous financial pressure, they offer greater autonomy to the universities in turn for freezing the financial means. The ministries support the quality initiatives of the renowned universities. Additionally, they initiate competition for research funds and gather information internationally to find out how their colleagues in the northern and southern regions approach similar problems.

• DIES Dialogue

All these measures lead to completely new demands for the management of the higher education institutions. However, at this point it is no longer sufficient to fight with intelligent lobbyism for public funds. Now it is time to economise efficiently, to decentralize intelligently, and to develop academic prestige in order to raise tuition money or to successfully submit applications in the competition for development funds. For these new tasks, the next generation of higher education leaders and managers must be professionally prepared.

• DIES Training

Downloads

• DIES Presentation (*.pdf)
  
  

• Africa Sub-Sahara
• Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
• Central and Eastern Europe
• Latin America
• North America
• Northern Africa and the Middle East
• Western Europe