Institutional policies and strategies are crucial to the sustainability of HEIs. These policies and strategies can enhance research outputs and promote research culture in HEIs. Developing these policies and strategies will help universities address gender issues. In addition, these policies and strategies must be developed in a cross-cutting manner. The aim is to create an institutional environment that is responsive to both short- and long-term goals.
Gender-sensitive pedagogical methodologies and resources are important for improving quality of teaching and ensuring the inclusion of women and men in STEM programs. This includes using gender-sensitive language in academic support sessions and in research and teaching practices. Furthermore, developing regulations and creating new offices can support universities in addressing gender equality. Governments can also provide funding to implement new programmes and initiatives to reduce the gender gap.
Research-oriented cultures can be fostered by universities that implement an institutional research culture. This can enhance the quality of research outputs and publications, and can increase research capacity. Moreover, these policies and strategies can encourage researchers to collaborate with each other. Among the most common practices that support this are joint master’s programmes. Joint master’s programmes generally include educational collaboration and mobility between institutions. They prepare students to make significant contributions to society.
Policies and strategies must be consistent with organizational best practice. Therefore, these policies and strategies must be developed and implemented in line with the strategic plan of the institution. A strategic plan should be a clear vision of the institution’s future. It should also outline specific commitments, objectives, and priorities.
The purpose of the institutional strategic plan is to develop an organisational strategy that supports the mission and objectives of the institution. In order to develop a successful strategy, the institution must first identify its main issues and issues related to the target audience. Once the main issues and topics are identified, the next step is to develop a plan of action.
In the current study, a survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Survey respondents were asked to list the main activities and policies that have been implemented by their universities. Some of the most commonly reported activities include publishing incentives, conference support, publication fees, workshops, writing retreats, and fellowships.
Universities should promote the participation of women in STEM by developing policies and strategies. Strategies should be gender-sensitive, and should also be designed to support academic collaboration between faculty members. In addition, these strategies should be incorporated into the curriculum. Additionally, it is essential to have gender-inclusive pedagogical approaches, including the use of referents, examples, and bibliography in teaching and in STEM programs.
Policies and strategies should focus on faculty-student productivity and research performance management. HEIs should also create an institutional research culture, which can promote the dissemination of research results. Finally, these policies and strategies should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain current.
Policy development and implementation should be based on the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. Similarly, strategies should be based on a strategic vision of the university and should be based on the purpose.