Governing and managing complex
institutions
New challenges in higher education
Impact and institution response
Key messages from Cluster 3
Nigel Thrift
5th EUA Convention of European Higher Education Institutions
Key messages
Increased autonomy and financial sustainability are
key elements in order for universities to fulfil their
declared mission and respond to current challenges.
Autonomy must be increased to enable HEIs to
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Design their governing and managing structures efficiently
Make full use of their institutional diversity
Select or train qualified managers who can respond
Select skilled governing board members
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Key messages
Financial Sustainability achieved through
Shared responsibility of European and national funders through:
 Providing sufficient public funding on a full cost basis
 Setting the right regulatory framework
 Helping universities in developing the right tools
Universities will contribute by:
 Developing tools to ascertain the full costs of their activities
 Diversifying their funding sources
Concentration measures & mergers
 Allow to re-think and re-challenge the institutional profile by clarifying
goals
 Increase visibility
 Should allow to combine institutional identities, not confront them
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