The Institute for Higher Education Management is part of the Department of Strategy and Innovation at WU and is led by Univ. Prof. Dr. Barbara Sporn.

IHM activities include research, teaching, policy advising and external engagement with different stakeholders, as well as involvement in international associations. Areas of interest at IHM combine theories of business and management applied to the complex organization of universities. With this focus, IHM provides insights for higher education scholars and practitioners but also beyond that for research and practice interested in expert and nonprofit organizational settings.

CV
Publications

We are pleased to announce the publication of the Special Issue (SI) “New Models of the University – Innovative Structures, Adaptive Responses, and Strategic Behavior”, by Barbara Sporn et al. You can find the article here.

Save the date: We will organise a talk on the topic on February 12, 2026 from 1 to 2.30 pm. More detailed information will follow.

During the upcoming summer term we offer the following courses with interesting (guest-)lecturer:

LV 5155: Business Planning and Performance Management

LV 6074: Strategic Leadership

LV 6073: Fundamentals of Strategic Management and Leadership

LV 4342 + 4699: Professional Development Workshop

LV 6366: Research in Higher Education Science and Management

The WU Course Catalogue for the summer term with dates and details will be online January 19.

The Institute for Higher Education Management and the World Food Programme (WFP) renewed their agreement on a dynamic collaboration aimed at fostering innovation in the fight against global hunger.

Since 2022 IHM and students from the SIMC - Master in Strategy, Innovation and Management Control have worked with WFP teams. The partnership has proven mutually beneficial by offering students valuable opportunities for internships and networking. Their insights are already shaping how WFP learns, innovates and monitors its operations for global food security and the collaboration will expand systematic collaboration in innovation research.

We’re looking forward for much more to come!

The CHER 38th Annual Conference will take place at the University of Catania, Italy, from August 31st to September 2nd, 2026. More information about the conference theme and call for proposals will be available soon on the CHER website. 

We have a new date for our Higher Education Speaker Series and are looking forward to another top-class guest speaker. On December 4, 2025 we will welcome Jürgen Janger (WIFO - Austrian Institute of Economic Research)for an exciting public lecture. More details can be found here.

A warm congratulations to our colleague, Ana Godonoga, PhD, for winning the Outstanding Paper Award at the 2025 European Higher Education Society (EAIR) Conference in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Her study „Embedding societal impact into education, research and service: The case of business schools” examines how business schools adapt their organizational practices to strengthen their societal impact and the conditions that enable the development of these practices.

We are pleased to announce the publication of the chapter "Organizing for Social Impact in Universities in the DACH Region", co-edited by Barbara Sporn and Ana Godonoga. Access to the document can be found here.