The Regional Embeddedness of a Minority University: Social Networks and Economic Relations

Higher education institutions are undergoing continuous changes that affect both their internal self definition – through their mission, vision, and strategy – and their societal perceptions. In addition to educational and research tasks, higher education is increasingly assuming that social and economic roles are connected to community engagement. These new roles have given rise to the model of regionally committed universities. Such institutions typically have lower research activity and less participation in international networks but place significant emphasis on meeting local economic and social needs. The aim of our study is to examine the economic and social embeddedness of a minority higher education institution in Romania that defines itself as a regional institution: Partium Christian University. This institution operates within an environment that „produces” its student base, „absorbs” its graduates, and simultaneously formulates expectations and suggestions for the university. The role and function of higher education are complex. Among its three pillars – education, research, and economic and social engagement – our study focuses on the latter. Economic and social embeddedness is influenced by numerous factors. These include quality assurance requirements that shape operations, internal and external institutional resources, and explicit and latent societal and economic expectations. Our research methodology, which serves as the foundation for our analysis, has two main pillars: secondary and primary data collection. Secondary data collection involves analyzing available internal and external data, while primary research employs a qualitative approach through in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions with the university’s graduates and the region’s expert community, including employers and stakeholders. The results of this research provide an answer to our central question: To what extent is the examined higher education institution economically and socially embedded in the region? Keywords: regional university, economic and social engagement, economic and social embeddedness, roles of higher education, third mission