impact of ESG integration in marketing activities on high school students' choice of higher education institutions in Northern Vietnam

The Impact of ESG Integration in Marketing Activities on High School Students' Choice of Higher Education Institutions in Northern Vietnam

Factors influencing high school students' intentions to choose higher education institutions in Northern Vietnam

Choosing a higher education institution is a critical decision that shapes students' academic and career development. This study investigates the factors influencing high school students' intentions to choose higher education institutions in Northern Vietnam. A quantitative research design was employed using a questionnaire survey. A total of 612 valid responses were collected from Grade 12 students in public and private high schools. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and multiple linear regression with IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The findings indicate that six factors significantly influence students' intentions to choose higher education institutions. Among these, career opportunities exert the strongest influence, followed by institutional reputation, academic quality, social influence, tuition and financial support, and university communication. The regression model explains 62.4% of the variance in students' intentions, suggesting that university choice is a multidimensional decision-making process involving institutional, economic, and social considerations. The study contributes to the literature on higher education choice in Vietnam and provides practical implications for universities in designing recruitment strategies, enhancing institutional reputation, strengthening career-oriented programs, and improving communication with prospective students.

STRATEGIC MARKETING IN TEACHER EDUCATION: INFLUENCING ADMISSIONS IN INDONESIA'S MADRASAH IBTIDAIYAH PROGRAMS

Student program selection has become a strategic concern for higher education institutions, yet empirical evidence on how marketing mix factors influence enrolment decisions in Islamic teacher education remains limited. This study investigates the determinants of prospective students’ admission decisions in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education programs at State Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN) in Indonesia. Using a quantitative survey of 547 students from three PTKINs, data were collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire and analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and regression techniques. The findings identify five key determinants of admission decisions: Influence of Surroundings, Consideration of University, Perceived Usefulness, Social Consideration, and Vocational Aspects. Among these, the Influence of Surroundings emerged as the most dominant factor, indicating the central role of family, peers, and community networks in shaping students’ program choices. Institutional reputation and perceived career prospects also significantly influenced decision-making. This study extends the higher education marketing literature by providing an empirically grounded model of student choice within the marketing mix framework in the context of Islamic higher education.

The Impact of Environmental Awareness, Market Information Access, and Organizational Involvement on Students' Career Choices in the Agricultural Sector

This study examines the influence of environmental awareness, market information access, and organizational involvement on students’ career choices in the agricultural sector, with the perceived economic value of agriculture serving as a mediating variable. The study addresses the growing concern over declining youth interest in agricultural careers despite the sector’s strategic role in food security and sustainable economic development. A quantitative research design was employed, using a survey of 100 undergraduate students from universities in the Karawang region, Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling based on their educational background and familiarity with agricultural issues. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of validated indicators measured on a five-point Likert scale to assess environmental awareness, market information access, organizational involvement, perceived economic value, and career choice intentions. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to evaluate both the measurement and structural models. The findings indicate that environmental awareness and market information access have significant positive effects on students’ career choices in the agricultural sector. In contrast, organizational involvement does not exert a significant influence. Furthermore, perceived economic value has a significant direct effect on career choice and partially mediates the relationship between market information access and career choice. However, it does not mediate the relationships between environmental awareness or organizational involvement and career choice. These findings suggest that improving access to reliable agricultural market information and strengthening students’ understanding of the economic potential of modern agriculture can enhance their interest in pursuing agricultural careers. The study provides practical implications for universities, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders to develop sustainability-oriented educational programs, digital agricultural information platforms, and career promotion initiatives that encourage greater youth participation in the agricultural sector. Keywords: Environmental awareness, Market information access, Organizational involvement, Students' career choices, Perception of economic value.

Integration of Local Wisdom in Strategic Management of Higher Education: Findings of a Multi-Site Study

This study examines strategic management of higher education institutions based on local wisdom through a qualitative multisite approach. The research was conducted at Institut Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah (IJM) Langkat and STKIP Budidaya Binjai, two private higher education institutions that explicitly integrate local values into their institutional governance. Using in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, this study explores how local wisdom is embedded in strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. The findings reveal that local wisdom functions as strategic capital that shapes institutional identity, leadership orientation, organizational culture, and quality assurance mechanisms. IJM Langkat grounds its strategy in historical–ideological legitimacy rooted in Islamic–Malay traditions, while STKIP Budidaya Binjai adopts a sociological–pragmatic approach emphasizing social relevance and graduate character. Despite these differences, both institutions successfully translate local wisdom into teaching, research, community service, and student development practices. Strategy evaluation further demonstrates that culturally grounded quality assurance enhances both managerial accountability and moral legitimacy. This study contributes to the discourse on higher education management by positioning local wisdom as a dynamic, context-sensitive resource for sustainable institutional competitiveness.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF STRATEGIC PLANNING ON INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: THE EXPERIENCE OF AZERBAIJAN AND TÜRKIYE

Strategic planning has become an essential component of higher education governance in the context of globalization, technological transformation, and increasing international academic competition. Modern universities are expected not only to provide high-quality education but also to contribute to scientific research, innovation, socio-economic development, and international cooperation. In this regard, strategic management approaches play a significant role in improving institutional effectiveness, organizational sustainability, and governance efficiency. This study comparatively examines the impact of strategic planning on institutional effectiveness in higher education institutions within the experiences of Azerbaijan and Türkiye. The research analyzes strategic planning practices, governance structures, quality assurance systems, stakeholder participation, and institutional development processes in universities of both countries. The study employs a qualitative comparative approach based on academic literature, policy documents, and institutional reform analyses. The findings demonstrate that Turkish universities possess relatively more institutionalized strategic management systems due to long-term administrative reforms, accreditation mechanisms, and broader implementation of performance-based governance models. Azerbaijani universities, meanwhile, have accelerated modernization and internationalization reforms, particularly in areas such as digital governance, academic mobility, and quality assurance development. The comparative analysis indicates that strategic planning positively influences institutional effectiveness by strengthening organizational coordination, improving decision-making processes, enhancing research productivity, and increasing international competitiveness. However, several challenges continue to affect the successful implementation of strategic management systems in both countries, including financial limitations, bureaucratic centralization, insufficient monitoring mechanisms, and limited stakeholder participation. The study concludes that effective strategic planning requires adaptive leadership, institutional flexibility, transparent governance, and continuous evaluation mechanisms.