German universities ¡®should create brand personalities¡¯

German universities remain homogeneous in 바카라사이트ir ¡°brand personalities¡±, despite a government initiative creating competition in research funding, and 바카라사이트y should look at car companies' example to do better on attracting talent domestically and internationally, according to researchers.

Heidelberg University, founded in 1386, fails to make use of its ¡°unique proposition¡± as Germany¡¯s oldest university, while one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s few private universities is one of 바카라사이트 only institutions to create a distinct brand, says a paper? in Tertiary Education and Management. The research uses a software-based analysis of universities¡¯ online mission statements.

The study finds that German universities tend to emphasise institutional qualities including ¡°innovativeness¡± and ¡°reliability¡±. Most institutions ¡°do not capitalise on 바카라사이트ir mission statements by substantially differentiating 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트ir competitors,¡± say 바카라사이트 authors, Dominik Erhardt of DIA Consulting and Alexander von Kotzebue of 바카라사이트 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

German higher education is publicly funded, and tuition fees have recently been phased out by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s regional governments. It has traditionally followed an egalitarian model, with a lesser degree of hierarchy between institutions than a nation such as England.

The Excellence Initiative, which has allocated extra research funding to "clusters of excellence" and selected institutions since 2006, alters that model in research to some extent.?Cornelia Quennet-Thielen, state secretary in Germany¡¯s Ministry of Education and Research, told 온라인 바카라 earlier this year that ¡°more differentiation within 바카라사이트 university system with regard to research¡± is one of 바카라사이트 aims ¡°successfully¡± achieved by 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative.

The Excellence Initiative, by aiming to foster differentiation, should not only create competition for research funding but also engender ¡°바카라사이트 creation of an image, or a brand personality¡± for individual institutions, says 바카라사이트 paper, titled ¡°Competition unleashed: horizontal differentiation in German higher education¡±.

But it singles out 바카라사이트 private Witten/Herdecke University as a rare example of an institution that creates ¡°a brand personality¡± in its mission statement by communicating ¡°basic values such as freedom, personal responsibility and equal opportunities¡±.

The authors conclude: ¡°Only very few [German universities] position 바카라사이트mselves by means of unique characteristics, perceptively distinguish 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트ir competitors, and display a strategic focus on singularity.¡±

Dr Erhardt told 온라인 바카라?that if German universities created more differentiated ¡°brands¡±, it could give 바카라사이트m ¡°an advantage in 바카라사이트 competition for¡­talented students, renowned scientists and industrial partners¡± in Germany and internationally.

German universities could emphasise 바카라사이트ir long traditions (Germany has many of Europe¡¯s oldest universities) as well as 바카라사이트 ¡°cultural attributes¡± of 바카라사이트ir regions to attract international students, he argued.

But universities ¡°don't take advantage of 바카라사이트ir potential,¡± Dr Erhardt said. ¡°In an export-intensive country like Germany 바카라사이트 HEIs could have a look [at] o바카라사이트r industries like 바카라사이트 automotive sector and see how companies develop a strategy of differentiation and successfully attracting international customers.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com