Universities in transition: the 6I model for strategic governance and management

The 6i Model (Caro-Gonzalez, 2019) offers an archetype for research management to devise and implement integrative institutional strategies by combining six dimensions that start with ‘i’: internationalisation, interdisciplinarity, intersectorality, impact, innovation and inclusion. This innovative model focuses on the expanding critical role of universities as social innovators and proposes ways to shape performance through principles of collaboration (international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral) and values-based rationales for action (impact, innovation, and inclusion). When adopted strategically, these dimensions can reconfigure universities’ multi-level fields of action, transforming their often slow and disconnected institutional changing processes. By analysing the case of the University of Deusto, Spain, and using a qualitative approach, this paper aims to critically examine whether this comprehensive model can be a powerful improvement methodology for the strategic governance and management system of university research. The research unveils the way the model performs in practice and unfolds its key performance features and critical success factors while addressing the fundamental challenges and barriers faced by universities nowadays. The research carried out suggests that a holistic view of research management can better inform research policy, support decision-making, and generate more focused and integrative implementation of the research strategy. Based on this research strategy framework at a specific university, further implementations and assessments of the model in other institutions and settings will contribute to further explore the potential of the 6i model as a comprehensive strategic design with which universities can steer their priorities, activities and role within local, regional and global ecosystems.