The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

This paper investigates the efficiency of European universities in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We make use of newly published University Impact Rankings that account for SDGs, whereby institutions that achieved high scores are those that are, in addition to scientific research...

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Main Authors: Lena Malešević Perović, Maja Mihaljević Kosor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Editura ASE 2020-05-01
Series:Amfiteatru Economic
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.amfiteatrueconomic.ro/temp/Article_2907.pdf
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author Lena Malešević Perović
Maja Mihaljević Kosor
author_facet Lena Malešević Perović
Maja Mihaljević Kosor
author_sort Lena Malešević Perović
collection DOAJ
description This paper investigates the efficiency of European universities in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We make use of newly published University Impact Rankings that account for SDGs, whereby institutions that achieved high scores are those that are, in addition to scientific research, putting more efforts in areas such as gender inequality, quality education for all, climate change, achieving peaceful societies and economic growth. In our empirical analysis, we adopt a dual approach. At a country level, we investigate efficiency of public expenditure on tertiary education, while at a university level we analyse the efficiency of the resources employed in achieving higher rankings (in terms of SDGs). Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) results indicate that, at a macro level, only three to four countries in our sample are fully efficient. They could, therefore, without changing government tertiary expenditures on education, produce about 20% better score on University impact rankings. At a micro level, only about 16 percent of universities is efficient. Their performance could be much improved, without increasing the inputs, especially in terms of supporting SDGs through cooperation with other countries, the promotion of best practices and the publication of data in cooperation with foreign authors
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spelling doaj-art-2737c75e14894f43a0c4acaf503b243b2025-08-20T03:54:57ZengEditura ASEAmfiteatru Economic1582-91462247-91042020-05-01225451653210.24818/EA/2020/54/516The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development GoalsLena Malešević Perović 0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2883-1597Maja Mihaljević Kosor1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8768-6292University of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, Split, Croatia CERGE-EI Teaching FellowUniversity of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, Split, Croatia CERGE-EI Teaching FellowThis paper investigates the efficiency of European universities in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We make use of newly published University Impact Rankings that account for SDGs, whereby institutions that achieved high scores are those that are, in addition to scientific research, putting more efforts in areas such as gender inequality, quality education for all, climate change, achieving peaceful societies and economic growth. In our empirical analysis, we adopt a dual approach. At a country level, we investigate efficiency of public expenditure on tertiary education, while at a university level we analyse the efficiency of the resources employed in achieving higher rankings (in terms of SDGs). Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) results indicate that, at a macro level, only three to four countries in our sample are fully efficient. They could, therefore, without changing government tertiary expenditures on education, produce about 20% better score on University impact rankings. At a micro level, only about 16 percent of universities is efficient. Their performance could be much improved, without increasing the inputs, especially in terms of supporting SDGs through cooperation with other countries, the promotion of best practices and the publication of data in cooperation with foreign authorshttps://www.amfiteatrueconomic.ro/temp/Article_2907.pdfsustainable development goals (sdgs)european universitiesdata envelopment analysis (dea)government expendituresefficiency
spellingShingle Lena Malešević Perović
Maja Mihaljević Kosor
The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
Amfiteatru Economic
sustainable development goals (sdgs)
european universities
data envelopment analysis (dea)
government expenditures
efficiency
title The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
title_full The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
title_fullStr The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
title_full_unstemmed The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
title_short The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
title_sort efficiency of universities in achieving sustainable development goals
topic sustainable development goals (sdgs)
european universities
data envelopment analysis (dea)
government expenditures
efficiency
url https://www.amfiteatrueconomic.ro/temp/Article_2907.pdf
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