Digital Transformation in Higher Education Management: An Analysis of Research Trends Based on Scopus Data (2015–2025)

Abstract

In the context of the increasingly pervasive digital
transformation across the globe, higher
education institutions are not only under
pressure to adopt digital technologies but also to
reconfigure their governance and operational
models. From this perspective, this study aims to
examine the evolution of research on digital
transformation in higher education management
using a bibliometric approach. The dataset was
retrieved from the Scopus database and consists
of 515 publications published between 2015 and
2025 following a systematic screening process.
The analysis was conducted using the
Bibliometrix package in R in combination with
VOSviewer to explore publication trends over
time, country distribution, subject areas, major
sources, and keyword co-occurrence structures.
The findings indicate a significant increase in
publication output, particularly after 2020,
suggesting a strong shift in research attention in
response to the digitalization of education. To
some extent, these findings not only provide a
comprehensive overview of the current research
landscape but also suggest several promising
directions for future studies.