A Generalized National Planning Approach for Admission Capacity in Higher Education: A Nonlinear Integer Goal Programming Model with a Novel Differential Evolution Algorithm

This paper proposes a nonlinear integer goal programming model (NIGPM) for solving the general problem of admission capacity planning in a country as a whole. The work aims to satisfy most of the required key objectives of a country related to the enrollment problem for higher education. The system general outlines are developed along with the solution methodology for application to the time horizon in a given plan. The up-to-date data for Saudi Arabia is used as a case study and a novel evolutionary algorithm based on modified differential evolution (DE) algorithm is used to solve the complexity of the NIGPM generated for different goal priorities. The experimental results presented in this paper show their effectiveness in solving the admission capacity for higher education in terms of final solution quality and robustness.

[1]  Yong-Chang Jiao,et al.  Modified Differential Evolution for the Integer Programming Problems , 2009, 2009 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Computational Intelligence.

[2]  Laura E. Rumbley,et al.  Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an Academic Revolution: A Report Prepared for the UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education , 2010 .

[3]  Xin-She Yang,et al.  Metaheuristic Optimization: Algorithm Analysis and Open Problems , 2011, SEA.

[4]  R. Storn,et al.  Differential Evolution - A simple and efficient adaptive scheme for global optimization over continuous spaces , 2004 .

[5]  Biniyam Asmare Kassa,et al.  A linear programming approach for placement of applicants to academic programs , 2013, SpringerPlus.

[6]  Rainer Storn,et al.  Differential Evolution – A Simple and Efficient Heuristic for global Optimization over Continuous Spaces , 1997, J. Glob. Optim..

[7]  R. Storn,et al.  Differential Evolution: A Practical Approach to Global Optimization (Natural Computing Series) , 2005 .

[8]  Ali Wagdy Mohamed,et al.  An improved differential evolution algorithm with triangular mutation for global numerical optimization , 2015, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[9]  Lori S. Franz,et al.  AN ADAPTIVE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR ACADEMIC RESOURCE PLANNING , 1981 .

[10]  Higher Education in Development : Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa , 2018 .

[11]  Ivan Zelinka,et al.  MIXED INTEGER-DISCRETE-CONTINUOUS OPTIMIZATION BY DIFFERENTIAL EVOLUTION Part 1: the optimization method , 2004 .

[12]  A. A. Eliman.  A decision support system for Univeristy admission policies , 1991 .

[13]  Ali Wagdy Mohamed,et al.  Constrained optimization based on modified differential evolution algorithm , 2012, Inf. Sci..

[14]  Kenneth E. Kendall,et al.  MANAGEMENT OF COLLEGE STUDENT RECRUITING ACTIVITIES USING GOAL PROGRAMMING , 1981 .

[16]  Roger G. Schroeder.  Resource Planning in University Management by Goal Programming , 1974, Oper. Res..

[17]  Marc H. Scholl,et al.  UNICAP: Efficient Decision Support for Academic Resource and Capacity Management , 2005, TCGOV.

[18]  Martin Trow,et al.  Reflections on the Transition from Elite to Mass to Universal Access: Forms and Phases of Higher Education in Modern Societies since WWII , 2007 .

[19]  Edmundo Tovar Caro,et al.  Guest Editorial: Open Educational Resources in Engineering Education: Various Perspectives Opening the Education of Engineers , 2014, IEEE Trans. Educ..

[20]  P. N. Suganthan,et al.  Differential Evolution: A Survey of the State-of-the-Art , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation.

[21]  Wu Jun,et al.  An Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm for Mixed Integer Programming Problems , 2013, 2013 Ninth International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Security.

[22]  Ali Wagdy Mohamed,et al.  RDEL: Restart Differential Evolution algorithm with Local Search Mutation for global numerical optimization , 2014 .

[23]  Ali Wagdy Mohamed,et al.  Real parameter optimization by an effective differential evolution algorithm , 2013 .

[24]  Sang M. Lee,et al.  A multiobjective planning model for university resource allocation , 1986 .

[25]  E. Hanushek,et al.  Education quality and economic growth , 2007 .

[26]  Hegazy Zaher Sabry,et al.  Advanced Differential Evolution algorithm for global numerical optimizatiom , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Computer Applications and Industrial Electronics (ICCAIE).

[27]  Edward R. Clayton,et al.  A Goal Programming Model for Academic Resource Allocation , 1972 .

[28]  Sang M. Lee,et al.  OPTIMIZING UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS PLANNING , 1974 .