Institutional Mergers in Higher Education: Lessons from International Experience

Higher education systems andinstitutions have used institutional mergers toaddress a range of different problems,particularly fragmentation amongstnon-university institutions, lack of financialand academic viability, pressures for majorsystem restructuring and external competitivethreats. While mergers frequently aredisruptive, strongly contested and costly inboth human and financial terms, they have thepotential to produce substantial longer-termbenefits, particularly larger and morecomprehensive institutions, stronger academicprogrammes, improved student services, enhancedstudent choice, greater institutionalflexibility and, under certain conditions,increased efficiencies and cost-savings. Sensitivity to human and cultural factors andeffective leadership are of utmost importancein achieving success in merger processes.