Vision of European future of the University of Mostar.
Majstorovic, Vlado ; Bandic Glavas, Marijana ; Rakic, Kresimir 等
1. INTRODUCTION
Modern organizations are now increasingly focused on increasing of
the competitive advantage based on quality. Higher educational
organizations, faculties and universities are not out of these trends.
Implementation of the Bologna process is now a priority task of all
European universities and universities which want to be part of that,
and quality assurance is the main goal of this process (Majstorovic,
2009). Many analysis and discussions have been made within the current
education reform indicating that radical changes are necessary in terms
of transforming traditional universities into modern European ones. This
paper tries to present a vision of European future of the University of
Mostar, that is, to answer what goals it wants to achieve in the future
and which direction to go. Related to that, the paper includes: the
roots of the University of Mostar, its mission and objectives, analysis
of internal and external environment, the main strategy and action plan,
vision for the European future of the University and conclusion.
2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
The fundamental mission of any higher educational institution as
well as this one is education and scientific research. Beside that, the
University has civilization-cultural mission and a task to support
economic, cultural, social, and any other development and progress
(Tomic et al., 2008).
The objectives of the University are end points to which its
activities are directed, and the most important are the following:
implementation of the reform of higher education which is promoted by
the Bologna process; constant adjustment of study programs to the
similar programs at European universities; providing knowledge,
abilities and skills to the students for better life in the 21st
century; development of University of Mostar into modern higher
educational institution which will be recognized by its excellence,
quality and competitiveness; ensuring the transfer of culture and
knowledge into the public sector, community and business; promotion of
the principles of academic freedom and university autonomy; acceptance
of European standards and values in the field of higher education;
creating of an integrated, competent, and effective university directed
towards research; development of quality assurance systems and access
into European Network for Quality; establishment of academic standards
established in the culture of quality and internal quality assurance
mechanisms; strengthening of human, material and spatial resources of
the University; providing better conditions in the area of student
standards and standards of employees; empowerment of the role of
students and affirmation of mobility of both students and teachers;
gathering and motivating the best and most successful staff as well as
the most talented students around and at the University; development and
promotion of inter-university cooperation in the country and in the
world; improving cooperation between the University and the economy
trying to develop new qualifications and study programs, and proper
financing of the University as a scientific organization.
3. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
Internal and external environment is especially important in
strategy forming. Concerning the internal environment, it is necessary
to study and evaluate it with regards to the weaknesses and strengths.
Also, it is necessary to identify threats and opportunities in current
and future external environment. Based on the analysis of internal and
external environment alternative strategies are made. University as an
organization can follow many different kinds of strategies or a
combination of some of them. That is why, they must be carefully
evaluated before a choice is made. Strategy-makers have a large number
of matrices on their disposal, which show links between the crucial
variables. Thus, SWOT matrix is in analysis of the situation (Weihrich
& Koontz, 1998). In fact, it is a conceptual framework for a
systematic analysis that enables comparison of internal strengths and
weaknesses with external threats and opportunities to the University.
The point of this analysis is to determine whether the organization is
able to survive in the conditions of environment (Koontz & Weihrich,
1989). In the SWOT analysis: Strength is a resource or capacity which
the organization can use to achieve its goals; Weakness is a restriction
or lack of organization which impedes it the achievement of goals;
Opportunity is any favorable situation in the environment of the
organization; Threat is any unfavorable situation in the environment of
the organization.
The results of the SWOT analysis at the University are given below.
Strength of the University means: clear vision, mission and goals of the
University; awareness of responsibilities for self-development as well
as development of the entire region; the existence of necessary critical
mass of teachers and associates willing to implement reforms; great
potential of our current and former students; recognizable identity of
the University in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in wider environment;
infrastructure which is better every day--a modern university campus;
developed international cooperation and international network of
contacts at home and abroad (partners, friends, associates); readiness
of the University for implementation of life-long education for needs in
the region. Weaknesses at the University are: inadequate legal,
financial and infrastructure conditions for development of integrated
university; lack of research capacities (adequate personnel, space and
equipment); insufficient motivation of employees; lack of own staff for
certain fields; overloading with teaching activities. Opportunities are:
commitment of Bosnia and Herzegovina to perform reform of higher
education; decision to provide implementation of Bologna process at the
University; forming of an integrated university; making of
interdisciplinary programs; coming of new generations which have grown
up in digital age and who communicate easily, easily connect to virtual
community and who wish to participate in social processes; opening the
access to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, the academic
community, to European projects (FP7, ERASMUS, CEEPUS, ...); coming of
younger generation of high-quality to university, who are computer
literate and very good at foreign languages; attractiveness of the study
programs and study conditions that are created for students from all
over Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region; geographic location of the
University; increased attractiveness of the University as a partner in
the international projects, networks and post graduate studies. Threats
are: economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe and the world;
vague and constantly actual political design of BH-society; unstable
political and economic environment in which the University works;
insufficient and irregular financing of the University; higher education
is still understood as consumption rather than investment in human
resources; rejection of the society to accept necessary autonomy of the
University in EU-sense; adverse economic situation in the country and
the lack of material resources required to implement changes;
uncontrolled expansion of higher educational institutions in Bosnia and
Herzegovina at the expense of quality; constant "brain drain".
4. MAIN STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLAN
Based on previous considerations, possible strategies and action
plan are formulated to achieve the goals set at the University. These
strategies are: strategy of new qualifications and study programs;
funding strategy; organizational strategy, human resources strategy,
strategy of space and research resources, quality strategy, marketing
strategy and public relations strategy.
Many more strategies are possible in above mentioned fields. Each
of them requires further analysis, formulation and creation of
alternative strategies, and careful evaluation before choice making. In
addition to these strategies, a possible action plan has been made in
which these specific activities and directions of action to achieve the
goals are listed. These activities are: continued implementation of the
Bologna process; encouraging and opening of postgraduate studies,
especially in cooperation with partner universities in the country and
abroad; harmonization of normative acts of the University with new
legislation; finding additional sources of financing; strengthening of
human, material, space resources of the University; improving
coordination and awareness at all levels of the University; improving
the efficiency of monitoring the implementation of management decisions
at all levels of the University; development of common infrastructure of
the University (Office for the International Cooperation, Center for
Quality Assurance, IT Center, Center for transfer of knowledge and
technology, Center for promotion of research, Center for students
support, Center for Lifelong Learning, Center of excellence and
establishing of association of graduates of the University of Mostar).
To implementation any plan and so this action plan, it is necessary
to achieve that all actors are devoted to its realization. To succeed in
this, it is necessary, through constant communication and information at
all university levels, to ensure understanding of the mission, vision
and strategic goals of the University as well as mechanisms for
achieving them.
5. VISION OF EUROPEAN FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY
Mission of the University as starting point in creating its future
cannot be neglected. Creation of knowledge and its transfer to new
generations, scientific research and cultural creation are the
fundamental tasks by which universities make continuity of countries,
start social changes and contribute to general social and cultural
progress. In addition to taking over the driving role of social change
based on knowledge, the University also has its traditional
civilization-cultural mission. This mission is important because in
modern societies general acceptance of values of civilization is as
important as gaining of qualifications necessary for knowledge-based
economy. Beside that, the University must also preserve conditions for
making knowledge not only for current but also for future needs of the
social and cultural development. Only in that way the University can
maintain its traditional capability to create society of the future. In
the framework of the current European context, universities has
additional tasks of adjustment and changes by which the field of
European higher education and research should increase competitiveness
of the European Union, which should, in the near future, become the most
competitive and most dynamic economic system based on knowledge as the
main drive of social development and progress (Majstorovic, 2007). In
accordance to the mission, the vision of European future of the
University is to become an integrated European University, which is
characterized with: academic autonomy; strategic planning; control over
its own budget; developed quality assurance system; certain common
services; teaching informed by research; modern human resource
management and integrated ICT system.
6. CONCLUSION
Based on thoughts presented in this paper and conclusions made, it
is possible to encourage and make faster the initiated processes of
transformation of the University into a modern European university if
some key issues are improved without delay. These questions are related
to the following: improving of the framework law on higher education and
making of county laws and other legal regulations in this area,
providing of adequate and systematic financing of basic University
services, establishing of a framework for defining policies and
strategies of education planning and research at national and regional
or county level, making a new institutional framework of the University
that would protect its autonomy and improve management. Therefore,
European future of the University and its proactive action in the
process of making and joining the European Higher Education Area will
depend on quality and rate of solving the above issues that are in front
of the academic community as well as on rate and quality of the key
issues solutions, for which it is not responsible.
7. REFERENCES
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