Institutional mergers in higher education: Lessons from international experience

Higher education systems and institutions have used institutional mergers to address a range of different problems, particularly fragmentation amongst non-university institutions, lack of financial and academic viability, pressures for major system restructuring and external competitive threats. While mergers frequently are disruptive, strongly contested and costly in both human and financial terms, they have the potential to produce substantial longer-term benefits, particularly larger and more comprehensive institutions, stronger academic programmes, improved student services, enhanced student choice, greater institutional flexibility and, under certain conditions, increased efficiencies and cost-savings. Sensitivity to human and cultural factors and effective leadership are of utmost importance in achieving success in merger processes.