DOI: 10.46340/eppd.2025.12.2.5
Larysa Shaulska, D.Sc. in Economics
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Vadym Vergeles
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Dmytro Baiura, D.Sc. in Economics
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Vasylyna Kolosha, PhD in Economics
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Liliia Tarasenko, PhD in Economics
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
How to cite: Shaulska, L., Vergeles, V., Baiura, D., Kolosha, V., & Tarasenko, L. (2025). Mergers and Acquisitions of Higher Education Institutions in Ukraine: Necessity or Strategic Choice. Evropský politický a právní diskurz, 12, 2, 54-66. https://doi.org/10.46340/eppd.2025.12.2.5
Abstract
The strategic priorities of university development are to ensure the quality of education and advancing research to create societal impact. Implementation of the strategy requires the autonomy of educational institutions and ensuring their participation in regional economic growth through optimized and efficient use of resources. An unpopular but potentially productive mechanism for achieving such goals is mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of universities, which can ensure a more efficient allocation of resources and strengthen institutional capacity.
The article explores the key trends, motivations, and the impact of M&A processes in Ukraine and other European countries, in particular in the context of higher education. A comparative analysis of M&A in business sector and universities has been conducted, allowing the identification of common patterns and unique features of this process in the educational sector. It has been established that under financial constraints, demographic changes, and the current need to enhance international competitiveness, university M&A strategies can ensure the optimization of resource allocation in the academic environment.
The study covers the main trends, causes, and economic factors behind the M&A of Ukrainian HEIs, reflecting the specifics of the Ukrainian higher education system. The paper systematizes the main risks that accompany M&A processes – cultural, administrative and organizational gaps, financial difficulties, risks to the quality of education, and suggests ways to minimize them.
The obtained results confirm the authors’ hypothesis about the influence of the target setting, which serves as the basis for the merger decision, on the outcomes of this process. A forced or compulsory decision is highly likely to generate more challenges than benefits. In contrast, a conscious strategic move and the implementation of all M&A stages under strategic management can significantly strengthen institutional capacity, improve education quality, and foster innovation and international competitiveness of universities. The authors conclude that the merger process can be a forced response to external pressures, as well as a strategically justified choice aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of higher education.
Keywords: mergers and acquisitions, higher education institutions, competitiveness, management efficiency, quality of education, international competition, strategic management, university reorganization, resource optimization
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