Factors of university competitiveness in an international context: a comparative analysis of higher education systems

Abstract

This article presents a comparative analysis of higher education systems in ten countries: Kazakhstan, China, Singapore, South Africa, Finland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, the United States, and Mexico. The study identifies key factors influencing the national competitiveness of universities, including funding models, institutional autonomy, research activity, internationalization, and labor market linkages.

The methodology is based on a comparative analysis using official reports from ministries of education, OECD and World Bank data, university reports, and international rankings. Visualizations, including tables, illustrate differences in funding, autonomy, and tuition costs.

The findings indicate that sustainable funding, high institutional autonomy, active research engagement, and integration with the economy are primary drivers of global competitiveness. Kazakhstan is identified as a country with a transitional higher education system, where key priorities include strengthening university autonomy, modernizing educational quality, developing R&D, digitizing academic programs, and enhancing university–industry linkages to improve international competitiveness.