TAM Report / Armenia - Management and organisational infrastructure of universities

GENERAL INFORMATION

TAM title: Management and organisational infrastructures of universities as a basis of quality education

Type of Event: Workshop

Modality: Presential

Location: Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan

Country: Armenia

Dates: 6–7 June 2024

Expert: Thomas Estermann, Director, European University Association

Participants: The TAM gathered around 40 participants from nearly all Armenian higher education institutions. The audience included vice-rectors, international office staff, institutional leaders responsible for strategy implementation, and HERE members. Participants represented both managerial and advisory roles within their institutions.

THEMES COVERED

• Governance models and decision-making structures in higher education.
• Collaborative leadership, leadership styles, and transformation processes.
• Strategy development, implementation, and communication in universities.
• Group-based institutional self-assessment of governance strengths and weaknesses.

• European practices on university mergers, concentration processes, and sector coordination.

   

KEY OUTCOMES

During the workshop, participants:

• Strengthened their understanding of European trends and best practices in governance, leadership, and management.
• Analysed their own institutional governance structures and identified areas for improvement through group work.
• Gained exposure to successful approaches to mergers and transformation in European systems.
• Benefited from cross-institutional dialogue and exchange within the Armenian higher education sector.

• Increased awareness of how to prepare for upcoming system-level changes, including the academic city project.

   

OVERVIEW

The two-day TAM was organised to support Armenian higher education institutions during a period of major system-level transformation, including planned mergers and the creation of a new academic city. The workshop combined presentations, team discussions, and interactive group work to help university leaders strengthen their governance, strategic leadership, and decision-making structures. Participants engaged with European practices and learned how governance and leadership models can be adapted to increase institutional readiness for upcoming reforms.

The programme also responded to the uncertainty caused by the government’s consolidation plans by adding a session on European approaches to mergers and concentration processes. Through comparative examples, practical exercises, and discussions on strategy implementation and communication, the TAM offered institutions concrete tools to assess their current governance structures, identify weaknesses, and prepare for effective transformation.

ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

• Revisit recommendations from the EU-supported ATHENA Project (2012–2015) to guide reforms in governance and funding.
• Strengthen sector-wide organisation by establishing structures (e.g., a national university association) to improve coordination and exchange of good practices.
• Provide continued opportunities for institutional leaders to meet, collaborate, and learn from each other.

RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL

• European University Association (EUA) (2023). NEWLEAD – Innovative Leadership and Change Management in Higher Education (2020-2023). Available at: https://www.eua.eu/our-work/projects/eu-funded-projects/newlead.html
• European University Association (EUA) (2023). University Autonomy in Europe IV: The Scorecard 2023. Brussels: EUA. Available at: https://www.eua.eu/publications/reports/university-autonomy-in-europe-iv-the-scorecard-2023.html
• European University Association (EUA) (2022). Universities without walls: EUA’s vision for Europe’s universities in 2030. Brussels: EUA. Available at: https://www.eua.eu/publications/positions/universities-without-walls-eua-s-vision-for-europe-s-universities-in-2030.html
• Bennetot Pruvot, E., Estermann, T. & Mason, P. (2015). DEFINE Thematic Report: University mergers in Europe. Brussels: European University Association. Available at: https://www.eua.eu/publications/reports/define-thematic-report-university-mergers-in-europe.html