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Studying the Heterogeneity of European Higher Education Institutions

Author

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  • Renato Bruni

    (Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering Antonio Ruberti (DIAG), University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Catalano

    (Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering Antonio Ruberti (DIAG), University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy)

  • Cinzia Daraio

    (Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering Antonio Ruberti (DIAG), University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy)

  • Martina Gregori

    (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMA), University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy)

  • Henk F. Moed

    (Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering Antonio Ruberti (DIAG), University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy)

Abstract

The heterogeneity of the Higher Education (HE) Institutions is one of the main critical issues in the assessment of their performance. A multi-level and multi-dimensional perspective is adopted, combining national (macro) and institution (micro) level data, and measuring both research and teaching activity integrated with performance indicators derived from the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER), CWTS Leiden Ranking, and PATSTAT patent database. Clustering and efficiency analysis are combined to characterize the heterogeneity of national HE systems in European countries, revealing the potential of using micro level data to characterize national level performance. We discover large differences 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. We find evidence that universities specializing either in teaching or in research tend to have a higher efficiency than those institutions balancing research and teaching. We observe tradeoffs between undergraduate and post-graduate activities, and a “Matthew cumulative effect†seems in place on the European institutions analyzed: 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Renato Bruni & Giuseppe Catalano & Cinzia Daraio & Martina Gregori & Henk F. Moed, 2019. "Studying the Heterogeneity of European Higher Education Institutions," DIAG Technical Reports 2019-12, Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Universita' degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza".
    • Handle: RePEc:aeg:report:2019-12
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    university ; heterogeneity ; clustering ; efficiency analysis ; Europe;
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