There is a popular perception that interdisciplinary research collaboration can yield benefits to knowledge production, from improvements to creativity to advances in addressing real-world problems. However, studies into interdisciplinarity frequently point to material obstacles, such as burdensome time and resource requirements, difficulties in…

Based on the first ratings of international branch campuses (IBCs) by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which are further supported by findings in the literature, we investigated students' institution choices and satisfaction, focusing on country of origin and campus environment as possible key influences. The study adopts…

Definitions of disability are changing, shifting from a narrow medical diagnosis to a biopsychosocial model of disability, where disability is conceptualised as a series of relational conditions that can potentially disadvantage individuals within environments. Implications of this new understanding of disability will have significant effects in…

In the Netherlands, the implementation of mandatory procedures in which prospective students do a final check on their initial higher education program choice (so-called matching procedures), were introduced to improve student-program fit. We argue that prospective students who lack feelings of fit with the program during these matching procedures…

Taking the "Learning to 'tell Chinese's story well'" narrative prevalent in policies as a starting point, this article draws on data collected from a provincial university and delves into the institutional involvement and support in response to the state's international higher education policies. By foregrounding the underlying…

Department heads are central in the university setting as an important buffer between university leadership and academic staff. However, taking on a middle management role can lead to significant disruptions in academic careers. To investigate the career trajectories of 31 academics in middle management roles, two waves of semi-structured…

University student mental health and wellbeing is a concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness and social isolation are drivers of student mental health problems, amenable to intervention. "Connecting People" was developed and piloted in health and social care services to support people to enhance their social connections.…

The idea of the university has been a matter of intense debate for well over a century. The essential nature, role and purpose of the university have long been questioned. The debate has only intensified as universities have multiplied and expanded across the globe, and the demands made upon them by different stakeholders have grown and…

Academic institutions today are experiencing a legion of security risks that are increasingly impeding their mission of producing high-quality graduates, guarding reason and educational integrity, and ultimately advancing human civilisation. The Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) model represents a potential solution to the dynamic threats…

There is a growing body of literature on the roles that deans play in challenging times; however, what is often missing are deans' own voices as they reflect on their experiences trying to manage the dilemmas and crises inherent in their work. This is particularly true of the past few years when deans have managed unprecedented levels of…

From an understanding of knowledge mobilisation as a set of strategies that favour responsible and inclusive research, the aim of this paper is to identify the obstacles or barriers to carrying out such research in higher education institutions, as perceived by researchers. In this descriptive study, content analysis is used to examine…

COVID-19 has caused a revelation of change across the world. Higher education leaders faced significant challenges during the unprecedented crisis, particularly in the early stage of the pandemic. We examined the University of Sydney's response to the pandemic using key informant interviews with leaders at different levels of the university…

Universities face an uncertain funding environment and turbulent marketplace. Financial scenario modelling offers a potential mechanism to assist in navigating a way forward. Our previous paper on UK universities' practice found some variation in the sophistication of the approaches taken, but the overall impression was of a relatively simple…

Referring to failures in policy-driven public governance research this paper looks at strategising in higher education. It expands horizons for understanding university strategies in a more nuanced way than hitherto has been done. Deploying systems theory, it shows how different temporalities co-exist in strategies and how their change reflects…

Differentials in graduate employment outcomes are pervasive across Australian higher education. Workforce participation is not evenly distributed across student cohorts, and learners disadvantaged by material resources or geographic location remain under-represented in overall employment rates. This inequity demands in-depth and systematic…