Systematic Evaluation Model for Developing Sustainable World-Class Universities: An East Asian Perspective

Abstract

Due to the unbalance between Asian and Western countries in terms of higher education development and pressure from global competition, universities in several East Asian countries have striven to become world-class universities (WCUs) by actively assessing themselves using various global ranking systems and subsequently investing in key performance indicators. Numerous scholars have suggested that for these East Asian catch-up universities (EACUs), independently improving the elements related to high-weight indicators could produce short-term increases in ranking performance; however, this approach is not conducive to sustainable development. In addition, little is currently understood regarding sustainable development strategies for developing EACUs into WCUs. This study proposes a systematic evaluation model for self-assessment and the creation of strategies to transform EACUs into sustainable WCUs. The fuzzy Delphi method was used to determine criteria for a new evaluation framework, and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method was employed to construct the influential relationships among the criteria. Two cases were then selected to demonstrate the superiority of the model for creating sustainable development strategies for EACUs. This study provides a systematic perspective and a useful tool for decision-makers at EACUs to achieve sustainable development goals.

The Role of B Companies in Tourism towards Recovery from the Crisis COVID-19 Inculcating Social Values and Responsible Entrepreneurship in Latin America

“…(See Table 1). The table above shows the B companies in Latin America, immersed in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, showing that 10 countries participate in this category, which shows that the most challenging problems of society cannot be solved only by government and nonprofit organizations, but by those responsible ventures that empower the economy of a nation [33,82,83]. The B Corp community works to reduce inequality, reduce poverty levels, achieve a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.…”

“…As a result, the researcher can describe a phenomenon in great detail [88] to enable theory discovery from the research. Many re-investigators work with this methodology because they relive the reality of the phenomenon studied [33,89] and revise the direction and framework of the research in real time as new findings and information emerge. Grounded theory uses a series of procedures that, through induction, generate an explanatory theory of the phenomenon under analysis [90].…”

“…A particular case of this is the undertaking carried out by tourism companies in protected natural areas which are not only responsible and contribute to the conservation of the natural environment, but also promote education and the development of a culture committed to nature and the riches of the Earth [31][32][33]. In this work, cooperation with institutions is fundamental and therefore, different models of collaboration are beginning to be common in situations where the enterprise is oriented towards the satisfaction/solution of social needs/problems in Latin America [25].…”

Testing a Recent DEMATEL-Based Proposal to Simplify the Use of ANP

“…The procedure to calculate the level of interdependence of the factors considered in the DEMATEL method is the following [5,15]:…”

Evaluating the Intertwined Relationships of the Drivers for University Technology Transfer

“…We used the DEMATEL information analysis method to effectively integrate the knowledge of experts [98][99][100]. DEMATEL helped to develop a strategy by directly comparing the interrelationships of the key factors with the problem.…”