Studying the heterogeneity of European higher education institutions

Bibliographic Data

ID21443154
AuthorsRenato Bruni (0000-0002-5992-8722, Sapienza University of Rome), Giuseppe Catalano (Sapienza University of Rome), Cinzia Daraio (0000-0002-4825-0071, Sapienza University of Rome), Martina Gregori (0000-0003-0714-3840, Sapienza University of Rome, corresponding author), Henk F Moed (0000-0003-2446-905X, Sapienza University of Rome)
Year2020
Volume125
Issue2
Pages1117-1144
Publication date2020-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScientometrics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0138-9130 • E-ISSN: 1588-2861
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s11192-020-03717-w
OpenAlexW3095199439
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited24

The heterogeneity of the Higher Education (HE) Institutions is one of the main critical issues in the assessment of their performance. This paper adopts a multi-level and multi-dimensional perspective, combining national (macro) and institution (micro) level data, and measuring both research and teaching activity, using performance indicators derived from the European Tertiary Education Register, CWTS Leiden Ranking, and PATSTAT patent database. Clustering and efficiency analysis are combined to characterize the heterogeneity of national HE systems in European countries, and reveal the potential of using micro level data to characterize national level performance. Large differences are observed between the European countries, partially due to the fact that they are in different phases of their scientific (and economic) development and of the re-structuring of their HE systems. Evidence is found that universities specializing either in teaching or in research tend to have a higher efficiency than those institutions balancing research and teaching. Tradeoffs are observed between undergraduate and post-graduate activities, and a “Matthew cumulative effect” seems in place on the European institutions analysed: high quality research is able to attract external funds that stimulate innovative and patenting activities that in turn are self-reinforcing to the scientific activities. The results reveal once more the limits and dangers of one-dimensional approaches to the performance of HEIs

Business · Cluster analysis · Economic growth · Economic system · Economics · Higher education · Incubator · Institution · Macro · Macro level · Political science · Quality (philosophy) · Ranking (information retrieval) · Regional science · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Efficiency Analysis Using DEA · Higher Education Governance and Development · Innovation Policy and RD

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access