Is the Transition to a Research University Attainable for UNWE?

Abstract

This study utilizes two basic conceptual frameworks to examine the future prospects of UNWE as a research university. The findings suggest that the unfavorable external environment is not the primary obstacle to achieving research university status. Instead, the fundamental causes are internal, rooted in a long institutional history that has shaped a distinct organizational culture. Within this culture, scientific research holds relatively limited significance—a feature characterized by strong inertia that resists rapid transformation. Establishing UNWE as a leading research center amidst dynamic global changes requires sustained, long-term strategic efforts to implement the necessary institutional shifts.