A Systematic Literature Review of Transnational Alliances in Higher Education: The Gaps in Strategic Perspectives

Abstract

Higher education institutions actively pursue transnational strategic alliances at the organizational level, but what are the rationales, pathways and benefits behind this pursuit? A systematic literature review in the Web of Science and Scopus reveals the majority of studies touching on this topic are descriptive, lacking definitions and theoretical underpinnings, with the word ‘strategy’ used in a generic, redundant or implicit manner. None of the 72 studies identified in this research takes a combined approach to considering the “why”, the “how” and the benefits derived from pursuing such alliances. This is necessary to explore the rationales and interconnected mechanisms that lead to strategic pathways, and to address the interplay between approaches taken and benefits derived. In addition to identifying a research agenda, this literature review points to the need for more comprehensive and theoretically grounded studies to support this emerging research area and evidence-based decision-making by policy-makers and senior leadership.

University Networks for Higher Education Quality Development: Between Mutual Trust and Control

“…This also justifies the assumption that university networks bring together people who share the expectation that, based on previous experiences with each other, the cooperation will be a success. Nonetheless, the reason for the establishment of university networks can also be more merit-oriented, that is, achieving a specific goal that seems to be unreachable for a solitaire university (for an overview of rationales for the establishment of university alliances, see Fehrenbach & Huisman, 2022). The survey data which we employ for our analyses draw an undecided picture in this regard.…”