Foto: Adobe StockA new study by the CHE Centre for Higher Education presents concrete proposals for higher education management and the science and higher education research community and their associations and networks, as well as external funding bodies. The proposals aim to enhance knowledge transfer between the various areas. The German science and higher education research community publishes a wealth of data and analyses that could be extremely useful for higher education managers. However, insufficient know-how has been exchanged between the two areas to date. According to a key conclusion of the CHE study, in order to be more successful in this regard, the actors involved should break new ground. This includes closer cooperation, targeted information formats, particularly in social media, and more guidance options within the existing diversity of information channels.
Lack of time and access opportunities
The results of the TransForM research project show that higher education managers generally value scientific evidence highly – more than 60 per cent consider research findings to be very or largely important for their work. Nevertheless, over half of them consult this information no more than once a month, and a significant proportion do not use it at all. One of the main reasons for this is a lack of time. There is also a lack of guidance on how to find practical information from science and higher education research, and on the most effective channels for doing so. Science and higher education researchers also complain about a lack of resources to carry out transfer activities. This is compounded by the fact that they regard the scientific community as their main target group. The result: science and higher education research and higher educatn management often run in parallel, rather than benefiting from each other.
“Transfer is not just about exchanging knowledge; it’s also about sharing ideas and inspiration. Higher education managers and the science and higher education research community should be more aware of each other and actively seek opportunities to connect. This requires encounters at online or in-person events, as well as simple, low-threshold access to knowledge. Target-group-oriented formats should be used more frequently; otherwise, many valuable insights will remain unused,” explained Sigrun Nickel, Head of Higher Education Research at CHE.
Shorter formats, more social media and online tools
Against this backdrop, CHE recommends that science and higher education researchers focus more on higher education managers as a target group when disseminating their scientific findings. It is important to distinguish between senior and middle higher university managers, as they may have different information needs. This information should be presented in formats that correspond to the working reality of these managers. Examples of such formats include short news items, articles in practice-oriented journals and curated newsletters containing news from science and higher education research specifically for higher education managers. The development of online tools is also considered helpful, as these offer opportunities for the targeted search of science and higher education research findings on topics relevant to practice.
The CHE researchers also recognise the significant potential of sharing science and higher education research findings in social media. While over a quarter of higher education managers use professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, far fewer researchers engage with this channel – only around 11 per cent use it.
Create incentives and opportunities for transfer activities
In addition, the publication’s authors recommend introducing greater incentives and opportunities for mutual knowledge transfer within the science and higher education research community and among higher university managers. For science and higher education research, this primarily involves external funding bodies such as the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). These bodies should explicitly consider knowledge transfer when issuing funding project calls. Regarding higher education management, this recommendation is particularly aimed at senior managers. They should promote the consideration of science and higher education research findings as part of an evidence-based approach to work.
“Science and higher education research provides valuable insights into how we can further develop our universities. If we can present these findings in a comprehensible and practical way, they could have an enormous impact,” emphasised Sigrun Nickel. “However, if we stick to the existing channels and formats, there is a risk of a permanent communication gap. Then research will remain in an ivory tower and higher education management will miss out on vital knowledge.”
About the publication
The publication “Verbesserung des Wissenstransfers zwischen Hochschulforschung und Hochschulmanagement – Empirische Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen” (Improving knowledge transfer between higher education research and higher education management – empirical findings and recommendations) (CHE Impulse No. 21) brings together the results of the three-year TransForM research project. The publication was written by Sigrun Nickel, Nicolas Reum, Cort-Denis Hachmeister, Saskia Ulrich and Frank Ziegele. The publication is the third and final sub-study of the research project “Transfer von Erkenntnissen aus der Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung in das Management von Hochschulen” (Transfer of findings from higher education and science research to the management of higher education institutions) – TransForM for short – funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Improving Knowledge Transfer Between Higher Education Research and Higher Education Management 8. October 2025 466.02 KB 239 downloads
Nickel, Sigrun; Reum, Nicolas; Hachmeister, Cort-Denis; Ulrich, Saskia; Ziegele,...