In my PhD research, I study challenges of present-day universities regarding their governance – more specifically the steering of education quality enhancement by the university leadership. The recent upsurge of centres for excellence in teaching and learning within universities provides an excellent context to study the steering capacity of university leadership in different universities and countries. The PhD research is located in the theoretical field of institutionalism. Rooted in the meta-theory of ‘the institutional logics’ we develop a theoretical model of steering capacity of university leadership for education quality enhancement. With this theoretical model we explore steering capacity of university leaderships in seven cases in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Norway.

The PhD research matches my interest in the area of institutional governance and organisational studies. Furthermore, I am interested in governance structures and steering mechanisms on system and European level.