Governance in Higher Education: Models, Institutional Transformations and Management Challenges

The governance of higher education institutions is the process of organizing and regulating institutional power in order to guide decision-making, policies, and resource allocation in a complex and diverse context. Confronted with mounting pressures from external sources, including internationalization and demands for greater transparency, academic institutions find themselves compelled to recalibrate their internal structures and redefine their mission. The present research employs the PRISMA 2020 methodology in order to systematically review the extant literature on governance models, recent transformations, and challenges in management, participation, and sustainability. Tensions have been identified between hierarchical and participatory approaches, which reflect the variety of contexts and the need for flexible responses. Transformations driven by social, political and technological factors require updated mechanisms that integrate strategic leadership and effective participation, in addition to considering the well-being of academic staff. The concept of governance is understood as an evolving system that articulates local and global levels, combines public and institutional policies, and applies ethical values to design resilient and inclusive models that facilitate innovation and position higher education as a driver of just and sustainable societies. The findings reveal the predominance of hybrid governance models and highlight governance fragmentation as the most pressing challenge for achieving quality and sustainability in higher education.