Understanding the performance of universities to promote technological innovation and transformation: An application to China based on a new network data envelopment analysis cross-efficiency model

When evaluating the performance of Research and Development (R&D) and Scientific and Technological (S&T) transformation activities in universities, the existing studies do not contain prior strategy analysis and inequality analysis. In this regard, prior strategy reflects the relative attention paid by universities to R&D and S&T transformation activities, while inequality analysis assists us in better understanding technological inequality in efficiency across universities. Additionally, this study contributes to the existing literatures by proposing new concepts of window-based cross-efficiency, window-based relative weights and a network Data Envelopment Analysis model. Our framework is able to evaluate the efficiency, perform priority analysis and identify the sources of technological inequality. Empirically, this study focuses on universities in Chinese provinces from 2007 to 2019. This study is of high policy practice, since it provides policy makers with how each university has performed during the examined period and what are the underling factors driving efficiency changes.     

How to measure research efficiency in higher education? Research grants vs. publication output

An ongoing debate in the literature on the efficiency of higher education institutions concerns the indicator for research output for use in empirical analysis. While several studies have chosen to use the number of publications as this indicator, others rely on the amount of research grants. The present study investigates whether both measures lead to a similar assessment of universities. In addition, the number of publications belonging to the 10% and 1% most frequently cited papers in the corresponding subject category and publication year are evaluated. We show that there is a high correlation of efficiency values between the estimations using these indicators. This correlation is slightly higher when the efficiency values result from a data envelopment analysis than when they are determined with a stochastic frontier analysis. The results of this study provide helpful guidelines for researchers evaluating the efficiency of universities and are valueable for decision-makers in science policy.     

Using expectations and satisfaction to measure the frontiers of efficiency in public universities

Students’ satisfaction with their university and course is of fundamental importance to retain students and promote their positive worth-of-mouth. The objective of this research is to analyse the level of efficiency of Portuguese public universities, according to the expectations and satisfaction of their students. To accomplish the objective, this article uses data envelopment analysis methodology. As our unit of analysis, we selected the faculties making up the universities researched. The analytical input came from the expectations of 1669 students regarding their study programme and their universities. The outputs stem from their satisfaction with their study programmes and their universities. We conclude that university practices do not currently guarantee efficiency. We also observe that efficiency in the relationship between expectations and general satisfaction with the study programme does not represent efficiency in the relationship between expectations and general satisfaction with the university, and vice versa.     

我国区域人文社科类高校知识传播效率差异及收敛性研究

文章使用DEA-Dagum基尼系数—收敛性检验方法,依据2009—2013年31个省份的面板数据测量我国人文社科类高校知识传播效率,分析区域差距及其收敛性.研究显示:东、中、西部地区知识传播效率依次递增.我国人文社科类高校知识传播效率低下受规模效率和纯技术效率低下的双重影响,纯技术效率低下影响更大.大部分省份处于规模报酬收益递减状态,区域内差距是全国整体效率差异的主要原因.全国及三大地区人文社科类高校知识传播效率差距均存在不同类型的收敛.     

Quality enhancement for accountability and transformation: A framework for the future

This paper examines the performance of Thai public universities in terms of efficiency, using a non‐parametric approach called data envelopment analysis. Two efficiency models, the teaching efficiency model and the research efficiency model, are developed and the analysis is conducted at the faculty level. Further statistical analyses are also performed to examine the difference in performance between two types of public universities, namely the government universities and the autonomous universities. Then, the differences in efficiency between university locations and types of faculties are examined. The results indicate that the autonomous universities outperform the government universities in terms of research efficiency. In addition, the universities in provincial areas and the faculties in the health science group are efficient in terms of teaching. Recommendations are also provided for the university administrators to improve the performance of public universities in Thailand.     

安徽省属本科院校资源利用效率评价——基于DEA方法的实证分析

通过收集和整理安徽省属本科院校近年来在办学过程中投入和产出的具体数据,运用数据包络分析方法和模型获得高校在办学资源利用上的技术效率、纯技术效率和规模效率。分析表明,27所省属高校资源利用水平总体较高,但仍有较大的效率提升空间,并给出量化改进意见。     

Efficiency analysis of research universities in Turkey

Research universities have emerged as a basic asset in international local institutions that contribute to the knowledge and socio-economic development of countries. Research universities in Turkey were established in national policies in 2017. This study aims to investigate the efficiency of ten research universities and five candidate research universities by the Council of Higher Education (CHE). The paper further aims at determining the factors that influence the efficiency of these universities on the basis of 2017 input and output data. As input variables, the number of faculty members per program and the number of scientific research projects were used in the efficiency analysis. As output variables, the ratio of the citation per publication in 2017 in Web of Science (WoS), the ratio of the research project income to the total appropriations, and the ratio of the PhD graduates to the number of PhD programs were used. Surprisingly, the number of scientific research projects in the major field of study negatively influences the efficiency scores of research universities. Instead of centralized management and output-oriented evaluation, university-based regulations must be identified, and process-oriented measures should be taken. The rate of citations per publication and the rate of PhD graduates per PhD program affect the efficacy scores positively. Because research as the main indicator of universities is well established, directing academics to scientific studies instead of course load is likely to increase the efficiency of research universities. Finally, focusing on doctoral education in terms of internationalization is likely to increase the scientific studies of universities and their quality development of research universities.     

基于因子分析的高校科技创新能力的实证研究

参照高校科技创新能力的内涵和结构,建立高校科技创新评价的指标,并运用因子分析法进行实证分析。结果表明:科技创新基础和投入因子、科技创新环境因子、科技服务投入和科研成果人力效率综合因子,对我国高校科技创新能力的解释能力比较强,其后依次为科技成果转化因子、科研成果经费效率因子。对各省市的科技创新能力进行了分析,并提出了相应的政策建议。     

Do universities maintain common standards in awarding first degrees with distinction? The case of Israel

This article investigates the extent to which there exist differences in standards for awarding first degrees with distinction amongst universities in Israel (as measured by the percentage of total graduates each year that receive a distinction). Based upon an analysis of annual data for the period 1979–1983, considerable diversity was found in the tendency to award first degrees with distinction between and within universities and faculties, and between the major subject department of the social science faculty, selected for more detailed analysis.This heterogeneity parallels that reported in Nevin's work relating to the situation current at universities in the United Kingdom nearly two decades ago.     

高职院校科研成果转化能力与效率评价研究--基于78所国家示范高职院校的实证分析

以2017年78所国家示范高职院校为研究样本,运用因子分析法和数据包络分析法,分别对高职院校的科技成果转化能力与效率进行分析和评价,并探讨二者之间的关系。研究表明,78所国家示范高职院校的科技成果转化能力总体偏弱且院校之间差异较大;绝大多数高职院校成果转化效率偏低但规模报酬呈递增状态;高职院校科技成果转化能力与效率存在互相不匹配的情况。     

Measuring the efficiency of teaching activities in Italian universities: An information theoretic approach

The measurement of teaching efficiency of Italian universities has become a topic of much interest and debate in recent years. The aim of this study is to fully explore the potential of panel data in the analysis of teaching efficiency both by modelling human capital formation in the university as a series of sub-processes and by using various models to account for observed and unobserved factors which generate heterogeneity. The new approach for estimating a stochastic frontier model based on the Generalized Maximum Entropy method provides further insights into the measurement of university teaching performance. The evolution of efficiency throughout the entire study period was also analyzed.     

An evaluation of the dynamics of the plan to develop first-class universities and top-level research centers in Taiwan

The recent rise in globalization has brought forth a global wave of academic competitiveness, which has taken its strongest hold in East Asia. In order to attain world class status, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MoE) initiated a project called Plan to Develop First-class Universities and Top-level Research Centers. The project is often coined the “Five-Years-50-Billion Project,” due to the fact that the MoE will invest 50 billion New Taiwan dollars (US$1.64 billion) in the plan over a five year span. First, the authors will attempt to investigate and analyze the difference in funding rationale and policy between the periods before and after implementation. Second, this study seeks to evaluate the plan’s efficiency on an institutional level by using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Findings suggest that the current funding policy has indeed increased Taiwanese universities’ levels of internationalization and global academic competitiveness. However, comparisons among those universities suggest that despite the relative degree of efficiency, more investment did not ensure better university performance. Guidelines for allocating funding should be regularly revised in order to reflect any changes in relevant conditions and in universities’ overall performance and efficiency.     

Comparing efficiency in a cross-country perspective: the case of Italian and Spanish state universities

The growing internationalization of European Higher Education requires more emphasis on cross-country comparisons. In this paper, an efficiency analysis of Italian and Spanish universities is conducted; as well as from a comparative perspective. The efficiency scores are obtained using data envelopment analysis. The results demonstrate a good average efficiency in both countries relative to each “country-specific” frontier; but when compared together, Italian universities seem relatively more efficient. Malmquist indexes show, in both cases, efficiency improvements in the period considered. In the Italian case, this improvement is due to major “technological changes”; that is, the introduction of some structural reforms in the sector (e.g., Bachelor/Master curricula). In the Spanish case, there is an improvement in “pure” efficiency, which is due to new funding models. Further stages of the study underline the role of “regional effects”, probably due to different socio-economic conditions in Italy, and to the decentralization process in Spain.     

大数据时代下高校成人教育管理探索与对策研究

随着信息技术迅猛发展,大数据已广泛应用于人类社会的各个行业。利用大数据、云计算等技术优化办学要素结构,提升教育管理水平,是高校提高办学效益、促进高等教育管理从渐进式发展向素质化发展转变的重要工具和基础。从管理学、教育学及社会学的视角,综合分析大数据时代下高校成人教育管理的价值和潜在的风险,在调研高校教育管理大数据发展现状及存在问题的基础上,从管控课堂教学、深入细化数据分析、完善信息化建设、增强意识形态教育等方面,探索大数据时代下高校成人教育管理创新的对策。高校应紧密围绕自身的发展需求,不断促进智慧校园创新应用,最大限度地挖掘数据价值,进而提升高校治理能力、推进高校治理体系和治理能力现代化发展。     

基于SFA的教育部直属高校成本效率评价

本文在总结国内高校效率评价的基础上,使用面板数据随机边界法分析2002～2005年我国教育部直属高校的成本效率,结果发现高校的整体成本效率值为0.59,比理论最小成本多支出41%的成本。深入分析影响效率因素后发现学校的类型、办学地点以及教师的职称结构、办学条件中的占地面积、本科生和研究生数量均显著影响高校的成本效率。     

云南普通高校办学规律和发展速度研究

本文在统计分析的基础上，云南省高等教育的具体实际和形势的发展变化，对云南“十五”时期高等教育办学规模和发展速度做一定的研究、分析和预测。     

A comparative assessment of Greek universities’ efficiency using quantitative analysis

In part due to the increased demand for higher education, typical evaluation frameworks for universities often address the key issue of available resource utilisation. This study seeks to estimate the efficiency of 20 public universities in Greece through quantitative analysis (including performance indicators, data envelopment analysis (DEA) and econometric procedures). The findings show inefficiency in terms of human resources management while also identifying a clear opportunity to increase research activity and hence research income.In addition to the immediate findings, this paper more broadly discusses the methodology behind the evaluation process used in this investigation and its potential to more consistently and reliably evaluate the efficiency of resource management by public universities.This paper is set against, and hopes to contribute to, the broader debate on reforming the management and administration system of Greek universities.     

“双一流”高校创新活动双元平衡差异性研究

基于88所“双一流”高校科技活动十年面板数据,以方差分析方法观察时序、空间与类型分组对研究双元平衡的差异性影响。结果表明:我国高校研究双元活动随时间推移呈现由单轮驱动向协作平衡转化的趋势,而高校类型与地区分布对双元平衡存在显著影响。工科优势高校、综合性高校研究双元平衡性处于较高水平,地方高校双元创新活动水平较弱且双元不平衡;长江中游城市群、成渝城市群、珠三角地区高校双元平衡度较高,京津冀地区高校双元明显不平衡。创新活动双元平衡的时空差异性分析为高校制定战略规划提供了重要依据,也是对双元理论的一个有益补充。     

一流大学建设高校“官微”生命周期分析

以36所A类一流大学建设高校的"官微"为研究对象,运用销售增长率分析法对其阅读量概况进行数据分析与处理,判断所处的产品生命周期阶段。结果显示,7所大学仍处于导入期,24所大学进入成长期,4所大学已迈入成熟期,1所大学濒临衰退期。依据不同生命周期阶段的产品特点,对一流大学建设高校"官微"的发展提出了优化策略:在导入期做好深度宣传,引爆用户增长;在成长期注重内容营销,优化团队建设;在成熟期培育核心竞争力,构建新媒体组合体系;在衰退期找准用户痛点,适时开启第二曲线。     

An empirical analysis of the performance of Vietnamese higher education institutions

This article provides an analysis of the academic performance of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Vietnam with 50 universities and 50 colleges in 2011/12. The two-stage semiparametric data envelopment analysis is used to estimate the efficiency of HEIs and investigate the effects of various factors on their performance. The findings reveal that HEIs in the surveyed sample show that there are still potential avenues to improve their existing performance. There appears to be a difference in the efficiencies of public and private HEIs in the reported year. It is noted that the inefficiency of HEIs are not entirely a result of managerial performance, but also influenced by other factors such as location, age and the contribution of tuition fees. Our results are expected to provide more understanding of the operational efficiency of HEIs for educational managers and policymakers to find possible solutions to improve the performance of Vietnamese higher education.