UNIVERSITY ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY AS A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TOOL: A MODEL AND RESULTS OF ITS VALIDATION
Abstract
In the context of increasing competition in the educational services market, accelerating digital transformation, and growing stakeholder expectations, ensuring economic sustainability has become one of the key factors in the longterm development of universities. Consequently, the search for mechanisms to integrate sustainability indicators into the strategic management system of higher education institutions has become particularly relevant. The purpose of this study is to substantiate approaches to integrating economic sustainability indicators into the university strategic management system and to develop a model for their application in managerial decision-making processes. The study employed of the study is based on systemic, structural-functional, and comparative analysis, analysis of the dynamics of university performance indicators, and modelling methods. The empirical basis of the research includes AlmaU’s strategic, analytical, and financial documents for the period 2022–2025, including the university development strategy, sustainability reports, and audited financial statements. The study identifies the key components of university economic sustainability, including financial, academic, research, international, and ESG sustainability. An analysis of the dynamics of AlmaU’s strategic and financial indicators was conducted, enabling the identification of factors exerting the greatest influence on the university’s long-term development. An original model for integrating economic sustainability indicators into the university strategic management system was developed, incorporating mechanisms for monitoring, risk assessment, and adjustment of strategic decisions. The scientific novelty of the study lies in substantiating economic sustainability not only as an outcome of university performance but also as an instrument of strategic management. The practical significance of the research is determined by the possibility of applying the proposed model in the development, implementation, and revision of higher education institutions’ development strategies with due consideration of economic sustainability indicators.