Barbara Sporn - Biography#

Barbara Sporn is professor of higher education management and heads the Institute for Higher Education Management at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. Professor Sporn served as Vice-Rector for Research, International Affairs and External Relations of WU Vienna University of Economics and Business from 2002 to 2015. She service as Co-Director for the Master of Science Program “Strategy, Innovation, and Management Control” at WU Vienna as well as Program Coordinator for the Strategic Management and Strategic Leadership Track for the Cross Functional Management Program (within the Bachelor Program).

Professor Sporn studied Business Administration at WU and obtained her doctorate in 1991 and her habilitation in 1999. She held positions as Visiting Professor at the Department of Business Administration and CHESS (Center for Higher Education and Science Studies) of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, the Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy (SIHEP), New York University, and SCANCOR (Scandinavian Center for Organization Research), Stanford University.

Today, Dr. Sporn is Director for EFMD Programme Accreditation, Quality Services, at EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development). She serves on International Advisory Boards for LUISS School of Business and Management, Rome, Italy; NOVA Business School, Lisbon, Portugal, SOLVAY Brussels School of Economics and Business; and is member of the management board of CEIBS (China Europe International Business School), Shanghai, China.

She has published books and numerous journal articles on leadership and organization in higher education, university adaptation and change, international and comparative higher education, and the globalization of higher education systems.