Risk Management at Higher Education Institutions in Bulgaria – A Regulatory Requirement and/or a Practical Need

Abstract

Modernizing the system of higher education and improving the quality of educational and research activities of higher education institutions is a permanent objective due to the constantly increasing requirements and the expectations of society. However, other factors also exist which hinder or at least slow down the achievement of the desired outcomes. Some of them are system-wide and equally valid for all higher education institutions, while others are specific. The article focuses on the main external and internal factors posing risks to the future development of higher education in our country. Among them are the negative changes in the values of society, imperfections in the regulatory framework, the funding model, the demographic crisis, the evaluation and remuneration of the employed research scientists and lecturers, solutions to ethical and social problems, and others. Identifying the main risks aims to make responsible institutions become aware of them. Another aim is to propose appropriate measures to counteract risks. It is argued that most of these measures require purposeful efforts by all interested institutions.