Abstract:

The discourse on the contemporary transformation of higher education indicates little about the spatial factors of the university campus and the changes needed in the future, even though the physical qualities of the university complement and enhance its purpose and activity. Transforming campus plans in accordance with the universal mission of higher education institutions is a modern evolutional challenge conforming to the constant development of society.

This paper offers perspectives regarding the evolution, transformation, and quality of Macedonian higher education, developing a proposition for the contemporary needs of sustainable architectural-urban development and quality factors that define and impact spatial and functional relationships between higher education and society.

The research methodology used is a qualitative literature review, assessing various relevant literature in order to synthesize, analyse and interpret existing findings and knowledge as a theoretical framework that provides insight on the topic being addressed. Initially, the study discusses the evolution of university campuses in response to cultural and societal development, and how the idea of a campus was applied in the post-war period, through a correlational observation of different architectural approaches to the design of university campuses. In addition, an overview of international higher education is provided, in terms of development, transformation, and globalization, and their impacts on the institutional and spatial structure of the university are analysed. Finally, the current situation with higher education in the Macedonian context is interpreted, and the key spatial and functional aspects that are necessary to be examined in order to effectively direct the improvement of the quality of higher education institutions are considered.

This paper's main contribution lies in providing relevant insight into the physical-spatial and conceptual-functional aspects of campus design while highlighting the need for an integrated approach to thoroughly align with the societal changes that impact higher education institutions, accentuated through the evolutionary analysis of university campuses and current situation of Macedonian higher education, stating the importance of campus design as a transformative role in defining the quality of higher education.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Campus Design, Evolution, Transformation, Quality.