Centre for Teaching and Learning (ZLL)
Strategic orientation of universities of applied sciences in studying, teaching and continuing education - developments and governance approaches in international comparison
The reasearch project SLW@HAW is an international comparative study focussing on the strategic orientation of universities of applied sciences (UAS) in the context of studying, teaching and continuing education, with a particular focus on the developments and governance approaches of the universities. Neo-institutionalism and Stockmann's diffusion model form the theoretical starting points for analysing the individual universities as well as a comparative approach. Specifically, the project will address the following guiding research questions: (1) What strategies are UAS developing in the context of studying, teaching and continuing education against the background of current demographic, social, economic and geopolitical developments? (2) Which governance approaches are associated with this? (3) What effects do strategies and governance approaches have on higher education institutions and continuing education programmes? In addition to the UAS in Germany, comparable types of higher education institutions in the Netherlands and Sweden will be analysed using a mixed-methods approach. The aim of the research project is (1) to record the strategic lines of development, particularly with regard to UAS in Germany, and (2) to generate impulses for the further development of UAS in general and the significance of continuing higher education in particular from the comparative approach.
The third-party funded project SLW@HAW is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with a funding volume of €722,302.01. The project duration extends from December 2024 to November 2027 and it is part of the research cluster DTX (Digital Transformation in Higher Education).
We are delighted to invite all interested colleagues researching "Developments in Higher Education Institutions" to join a research workshop and the next meeting of the STARS EU Thematic Interest Group “Education and Learning in and for a New Working Life” (ELW) – including, but not limited to, colleagues from our STARS-EU partner universities.
We are still very open regarding the design of individual programme blocks and warmly welcome everyone who would like to contribute – be it a presentation, a workshop format, or a poster. Whether you have concrete findings to share or just early ideas you'd like to discuss, you are welcome to join us in Bremen.
Please register as soon as possible using the form below, and let us know if you would like to contribute. Registration closes on 18 September 2026.
If you would like to find out more about the new TIG in advance, you are warmly invited to join the STARS EU Talk
Senior Lecturer Lena Almqvist Nielsen and Professor Per Assmo from University West will introduce this new TIG to a broader audience ahead of our workshop.
Please feel free to join us.
📅 15 September 2026
🕐 13:00-14:00 (CET)
💻 Online STARS TALKS: Education and Learning in the new Working Life (ELW) - a new STARS EU Thematic Interest Group | STARS EU
If you have any questions, please contact us here.
Prof. Dr. Annika Meike Maschwitz
Vice president of Academic Affairs and Internationalisation
+49 421 5905 4161
Email
