Strategic Regional Networks in Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to present a framework, which can be used to analyze the regional dimension of the institutional performance in higher education. This chapter combines strategic planning and corporate social responsibility reporting. The strategic planning of a higher education institution defines strategic objectives, which take into account educational policy, national and regional networked strategies, and the regional demand for labor. The evaluation of the external impact of an institution means that a general conceptual framework must describe the outreach and engagement of the institution with the region. The framework presented in this study includes the elements of the networked knowledge society, strategic management, global reporting initiative and quality assurance. The empirical part of this study is based on the network study of the Turku University of Applied Sciences. The framework can be used in decision making when an institution is invited to join local, national and international networks.