Strategic positioning of continuing education in research-intensive universities

With knowledge developing at unprecedent speed, and a population that is both getting older and staying in the workforce longer, continuous learning across all ages is critical to address the challenges of our time. Research-intensive universities are increasingly recognizing their key role in these developments and are focusing more on making continuing education and lifelong learning a part of their core activities.This thesis examines the strategic positioning of continuing education in research-intensive universities. It does so by identifying the main purposes the universities want to achieve by embedding this non-core task and assessing which types of continuing education units are most successful in achieving the different purposes, as well as which other factors are critical to support this activity. The findings are based on qualitative data gathered through interviews with leaders of continuing education units in recognized research-intensive universities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Using the Gioia method of qualitative research, the findings reveal that three purposes compete for strategic attention: most of the interviewed continuing education units within universities try to operate between the tension of fulfilling an access, impact and engagement mission while having to be financially viable by earning their funding through fees, and at the same time ensuring that their teaching reflects the research conducted at the university. The study further demonstrates that the different types of units show different rates of success in achieving these different purposes. Additionally, it identifies different baseline factors which support the success of continuing education in universities: incentives for academic staff, strong senior leadership support, a clear strategic direction as well as the establishment of external partnerships for regional synergies, labour market demand alignment and the reaching of broader target groups. These findings can help university leadership make informed decisions about how to embed continuing education within their institutions depending on their objectives, as well as support them in their understanding of the key factors that need to be in place to ensure the success of their continuing education activities.