SWOT Analysis and Performance Evaluation Within Universities

This chapter describes the changes that have taken place over the past decade in Russian higher education, including the transition from the system of estimated charges to the per capita financing of state universities, which is used in most developed countries. Also new was the evaluation of universities’ performance in different activities. The author gives examples of the programs in different countries that aim to promote universities in the international education and science market, explains how world rankings can affect the universities’ attractiveness, and focuses on the attitude of rating agencies to Russian universities in the current geopolitical situation. A special emphasis is made on the peculiarities of the educational services market and its difference from the ordinary goods market. The importance of higher education for a country’s development is underlined. The chapter contains a strategic analysis of the Russian institution’s external environment, which includes political processes, social and economic factors, and technical and technological innovations, assesses their impact on the current and future development of the institution, and provides recommendations on how to respond to the challenges. SWOT analysis of the university’s external and internal environment factors was also carried out, and its strengths and weaknesses were determined. The SWOT-analysis matrix is constructed, where four development strategies are prescribed depending on the combination of opportunities with strengths and weaknesses, or threats with strengths and weaknesses. The author also gave practical recommendations on how to solve the threats from the viewpoint of university economists.