Strategic Planning in Higher Education

5. Why is strategic planning important in the context of digital transformation?

Strategic planning enables higher education institutions to systematically address digital challenges. It provides a framework for:

• planning digital infrastructure and staff training;
• securing resources for hybrid and online teaching models;
• integrating new technologies such as artificial intelligence into research and teaching processes.

According to the European University Association (EUA) report, institutions that included a digital component in their strategic planning achieved better adaptation to online environments during the pandemic [14].

Example: The University of Zadar integrated digital transformation across all levels of its strategic document, emphasizing the importance of open educational resources and digital tools in teaching [22].

Example: The City University of New York (CUNY) offers high-quality and affordable online education and by 2030 aims to increase the number of fully online certification and degree programs by 100% [15].