Cross-Country Analysis of Research and Development Efficiency in Higher Education: Data Envelopment Analysis and Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach

This research examines the R&D efficiency of higher education across countries and reveals the relationship between R&D efficiency and related variables. For this purpose, data envelopment analysis (DEA) and hybrid multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approaches were integrated to measure efficiency with two inputs and two outputs. Output-oriented VRS and CRS models were used for efficiency measurement, CRITIC and MEREC methods were used for weighting inputs and outputs, the TOPSIS method was used for ranking countries, and the Borda function was used to combine different ranking values. The results of the study revealed that Bulgaria, China, Romania, and Slovenia are efficient in both DEA models. The DEA analysis determined the potential rates of improvement in the R&D efficiency of the countries. According to the MCDM analysis, the most important input is R&D expenditure and the most important output is patents. In terms of R&D performance, China, Malta, and Slovenia are the highest performing countries. According to the correlation analysis results, R&D expenditures are a necessary but not sufficient factor for R&D efficiency. In addition, there is no relationship between the development, university-industry collaboration, and innovation level of countries and R&D efficiency. In addition, this research has provided a new perspective on R&D efficiency methodology by providing a harmonious integration of hybrid MCDM and DEA. As the first known cross-country study of R&D efficiency at the higher education level, this research has provided new insights.