Key Performance Indicators for research activity

When considering key performance indicators (KPIs) for academic researches, the College sets such indicators to ensure where its strengths and weaknesses lie. It is important to focus on various aspects that contribute to the success and impact of the research. Here are some key factors to consider:

Amount and standard of research output

  • The number of research proposals given to the research director per year is set to be 5.
  • The number of accepted research proposals per year, as this is being approved by the Director of the Research Centre and the Administrative Committee, is estimated to be between 2-3.
  • The number of successful research outputs (completed) per year, is estimated to be between 1-2.
  • The number of publications per year is set to be 2.
  • 20% increase of faculty researchers being 8/15 within the next two academic years. In the next five years, the strategy of the College is that all academics who will be engaged with the Hotel Administration (Bachelor) will undertake academic research in their field.

https://www.casacollege.ac.cy/research-activities-publications/

Funding and Grants

The College’s Board of Directors supports the research activity of the faculty. The management allocates 5 % of the tuition fees paid by the students per academic year for research activities and professional development. The College plans to increase the funding percentage to 10%, within the next five years, in an effort to strategically increase the research output.

Set the objectives for conducting a research activity

  • To develop a learning environment achieved throughout the process of the research activity as well as to enhance transferable skills.
  • To assess the effectiveness of a new teaching method in enhancing critical thinking skills among students.
  • To evaluate the global changes and investigate how these influence the college curriculum.
  • To expand and achieve research collaboration and networking with other institutions, through collaborative projects, co-authored publications, and participation in conferences or workshops.

Training & mentoring

  • Ensure that all aspects of having a safe operation, including appropriate training, personal protective equipment, engineering controls, approvals, and standard operating procedures are in place from the start of the activities. The College aims to design a new laboratory space available for research according to proper health and safety measures, within the next five years. At the same time, the College encourages the faculty to become members of international academies and to conduct publications in international quality journals.

Student Involvement

  • Casa College is challenged to have students involved in research projects, in collaboration with their lecturers, as it considers their development and engagement.  The KPI is the number of student researchers involved (final year students), being part of their final year project. As far as these are concerned, upon completion of their research activity students can benefit from the following:
    • advanced education; through research, students can develop critical thinking skills, enhance their analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, as well as contribute to knowledge in their field of studies. These skills are valuable across various career paths, providing a strong foundation for professional success.
    • developing such skills and passion for research, that will allow students to pursue a career in the academic sector.
    • entrepreneurship and innovation, while research activities can foster an entrepreneurial mindset and innovation. By exploring new ideas, conducting market research, and developing problem-solving skills, students may discover opportunities to start their own businesses or contribute to a startup company in a research-driven field.

Ethical Considerations

  • All researchers need to ensure that ethical standards are met throughout the research process. KPIs include a set of principles that guide the research designs and practices, such as informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, the potential for harm, and results communication. Researchers must always follow a certain code of conduct when collecting data from others, in order to protect the rights of research participants, enhance research validity, and maintain scientific integrity.