EAIR Forum Cork 2024

Track 1: Sustainable Strategic Management and Governance in Higher Education

Track Chairs: Dr Ruth Hally, Professor Rosalind Pritchard

Public interest in the performance of higher education continues to increase along with dynamic expectations of its contribution to the knowledge economy, economic growth, societal development, and environmental protection. The growing interest in performance evaluation is a consequence of some of the forces driving change in the higher education landscape including marketisation, internationalisation and globalisation. Institutional transformation of higher education raises new challenges for strategic higher education management, which call into focus the impact of change and the agility of institutional response in a national and global context.

Sustaining impactful strategic management approaches that are both locally and globally sensitive is essential in responding visibly to the demands of various stakeholders’ interests. The challenge of being publicly funded in an environment that often demands private responses also needs to be considered within the context of the University’s Third Mission; to serve society.

The continuing interaction between governments, higher education agencies and higher education institutions illustrates a dynamic and evolving relationship between state and higher education. Systems performance, the performativity of institutions regionally, nationally, and internationally are central preoccupations for higher education governance at systems and local levels. Key disrupters and challenges for strategic higher education management and governance include:

  • What strategic management implications arise in response to the changing relationship between higher education and society as exemplified by state retraction of funding, the growth of corporate sponsorship, the rise of student consumerism and increased marketisation of higher education?

  • How can the effectiveness and development of governance systems at systems and institutional level, provide confidence, assurance and accountability which sustains the future of our higher education institutions?

  • How can the spirit of impactful learning and teaching, and independent research inquiry be sustained in the face of growing corporate sponsorship of research, and the pursuit of academic prestige driven by global league tables?

  • Within the current institutional context, how are institutions managing the tensions between the production of knowledge and the integrity of the knowledge produced?

  • What governance approaches exist to support institutions in fulfilling their responsibilities in this context?

  • How can publicly funded institutions who operate in conditions similar to the private sector continue to serve society (meet their Third Mission responsibilities) actively and responsibly?

This track is chaired by:

Rosalind


Professor Rosalind Pritchard

Ruth Hally


Dr Ruth Hally

Track Details

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Sustainable Travel Ideas for the EAIR Cork Forum

Travelling from Europe

Visitors from Europe can travel via Eurostar from Paris to London and from there by train to Wales and by boat to Dublin. Travellers can then take the train or bus to Cork. Alternatively, there is a daily boat connection from Roscoff or Calais (in Northern France) directly to Ringaskiddy, Cork.  

Link for Direct Ferries: https://www.directferries.ie/

Travelling from the UK

There are ways to travel to and from Ireland without flying, as there are train and bus services that link with ferry services across the Irish Sea which connect several ports in England, Wales and Scotland with Irish ferry ports of Rosslare, Dublin or Belfast with ongoing travel by car, bus or train. 

Cross County Rail Services

Where taking a flight is necessary, attendees are encouraged to consider direct flights to Ireland (Cork, Dublin) airports and to use cross country rail services where a direct flight to Cork is not possible.

Link for Irish rail: https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/

Travel options in Cork

Cork is a city where active travel options are both available and encouraged – walking and cycling.  Visitors to Cork City can get a 3 day TFI bike subscription.

Link to TFI Bike Subscription: https://www.bikeshare.ie/pricing-and-subscriptions.html

All accommodation options and EAIR Forum venues in Cork can be accessed easily by foot. 

Offsetting Travel Emissions

Forum attendees are invited to offset the unfavourable impact of air travel by combining attendance at the Cork forum with other meetings in Ireland, the UK and Europe. 

Forum attendees who wish to consider sustainable travel options may also wish to combine their attendance at the Cork EAIR Forum with their annual holiday and by so doing minimise the number of air flights taken in 2024.