{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T21:55:36Z","timestamp":1787003736212,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]],"date-time":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762992000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]],"date-time":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762992000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sci Rep"],"DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-23116-6","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]],"date-time":"2025-11-13T20:53:07Z","timestamp":1763067187000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["An equity aware recommender system for university admissions balancing operational constraints and strategic objectives"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Ibrahim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ala","family":"Alarood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eesa","family":"Alsolami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"23116_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Altbach, P. G., Reisberg, L. & Rumbley, L. E. Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an Academic Revolution (UNESCO, 2009). https:\/\/unesdoc.unesco.org\/ark:\/48223\/pf0000183219","DOI":"10.1163\/9789004406155"},{"key":"23116_CR2","unstructured":"UNESCO: The world needs almost 69 million new teachers to reach the 2030 education goals. https:\/\/unesdoc.unesco.org\/ark:\/48223\/pf0000246124 (2016)"},{"key":"23116_CR3","unstructured":"McKinsey, Company: Reimagining higher education. https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/industries\/education\/our-insights\/reimagining-higher-education-in-the-united-states#\/ (2020)."},{"issue":"2","key":"23116_CR4","first-page":"45","volume":"8","author":"D DiBiase","year":"2004","unstructured":"DiBiase, D. The impact of increasing enrollment on faculty workload and student satisfaction over time. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 8(2), 45\u201360 (2004).","journal-title":"Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks"},{"issue":"1","key":"23116_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1080\/00131881.2011.552235","volume":"53","author":"J Watts","year":"2011","unstructured":"Watts, J. & Robertson, N. Burnout in university teaching staff: A systematic literature review. Educational Research 53(1), 33\u201350 (2011).","journal-title":"Educational Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"23116_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jors.2602523","volume":"60","author":"C Beyrouthy","year":"2009","unstructured":"Beyrouthy, C. et al. Towards improving the utilization of university teaching space. Journal of the Operational Research Society 60(1), 130\u2013143 (2009).","journal-title":"Journal of the Operational Research Society"},{"issue":"1","key":"23116_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1353\/rhe.1999.0023","volume":"23","author":"DE Heller","year":"2001","unstructured":"Heller, D. E. The effects of tuition and state financial aid on public college enrollment. Review of Higher Education 23(1), 65\u201389 (2001).","journal-title":"Review of Higher Education"},{"key":"23116_CR8","unstructured":"Brynjolfsson, E. & McAfee, A. The Second Machine Age: Work. Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. W.W. Norton & Company. https:\/\/wwnorton.com\/books\/the-second-machine-age\/ (2014)."},{"issue":"3","key":"23116_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"284","DOI":"10.1504\/IJAMS.2012.047678","volume":"4","author":"B Pal","year":"2012","unstructured":"Pal, B. B., Kumar, M. & Sen, S. A priority-based goal programming method for solving academic personnel planning problems with interval-valued resource goals in university management system. Int. J. Appl. Manag. Sci. 4 (3), 284\u2013312 (2012).","journal-title":"International Journal of Applied Management Science"},{"key":"23116_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ehlers, U.-D. Emerging Open-learning Cultures: Transforming Higher Education (Springer, 2013). https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-3-642-38174-4","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-38174-4_3"},{"issue":"1","key":"23116_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.60084\/jeml.v1i1.46","volume":"1","author":"A Maulana","year":"2023","unstructured":"Maulana, A. et al. Optimizing university admissions: a machine learning perspective. J. Educ. Manag. Learn. 1 (1), 1\u20137 (2023).","journal-title":"Journal of Educational Management and Learning"},{"issue":"4","key":"23116_CR12","first-page":"562","volume":"18","author":"S Shilbayeh","year":"2021","unstructured":"Shilbayeh, S. & Abonamah, A. Predicting student enrollments and attrition patterns in higher educational institutions using machine learning. Int. Arab J. Inf. Technol. 18 (4), 562\u2013567 (2021).","journal-title":"Int. Arab J. Inf. Technol."},{"key":"23116_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Minton, S., Johnston, M. D., Philips, A. B. & Laird, P. Minimizing conflicts: A heuristic repair method for constraint satisfaction and scheduling problems. In: Artificial Intelligence Elsevier, (1992). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/0004-3702(92)90007-K.","DOI":"10.1016\/0004-3702(92)90007-K"},{"issue":"5","key":"23116_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"422","DOI":"10.1037\/h0040968","volume":"67","author":"JS Adams","year":"1963","unstructured":"Adams, J. S. Towards an understanding of inequity. The journal of abnormal and social psychology 67(5), 422 (1963).","journal-title":"The journal of abnormal and social psychology"},{"key":"23116_CR15","unstructured":"Wilkinson, R., Taylor, J. S., Peterson, A. & Machado-Taylor, M. d. L. A practical guide to strategic enrollment management planning. Online Submission (2007)."},{"issue":"1","key":"23116_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1002\/sem3.20002","volume":"1","author":"D Hossler","year":"2013","unstructured":"Hossler, D.\u00a0& Kalsbeek, D.\u00a0Enrollment management and managing enrollments: Revisiting the context for institutional strategy Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly (2013).","journal-title":"Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly"},{"key":"23116_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1080\/08832323.2018.1450212","volume":"93","author":"E Maldonado","year":"2018","unstructured":"Maldonado, E. & Seehusen, V. Data mining student choices. J. Educ. Bus. 93 (5), 196\u2013203 (2018).","journal-title":"Journal of Education for Business"},{"key":"23116_CR18","unstructured":"Ignizio, J. P. Generalized goal programming an overview. Comput. Oper. Res. (1976)"},{"key":"23116_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tamiz, M., Jones, D. F. & El-Darzi, E. A review of goal programming and its applications. Ann. Oper. Res. 58 (1), 39\u201353 (1995).","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02032309"},{"issue":"5","key":"23116_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3443","DOI":"10.1007\/s10639-020-10159-7","volume":"25","author":"S Chatterjee","year":"2020","unstructured":"Chatterjee, S. & Bhattacharjee, K. K. Adoption of artificial intelligence in higher education. Educ. Inform. Technol. 25(5), 3443\u20133463 (2020).","journal-title":"Education and Information Technologies"},{"issue":"5","key":"23116_CR21","first-page":"1302","volume":"59","author":"M Koksalan","year":"2011","unstructured":"Koksalan, M. & Wallenius, J. Multiple criteria decision making in resource allocation problems. Operations Research 59(5), 1302\u20131308 (2011).","journal-title":"Operations Research"},{"issue":"5","key":"23116_CR22","first-page":"1109","volume":"30","author":"M Zeleny","year":"1982","unstructured":"Zeleny, M. Multiple criteria decision making. Operations Research 30(5), 1109\u20131110 (1982).","journal-title":"Operations Research"},{"key":"23116_CR23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, J., Wang, D. & Li, A. Goal programming and its variants. In Encyclopedia of Decision Making and Decision Support Technologies 410\u2013417 (2008)","DOI":"10.4018\/978-1-59904-843-7.ch047"},{"key":"23116_CR24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Dechter, R. Constraint Processing. Morgan Kaufmann. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5555\/861293 (2003).","DOI":"10.5555\/861293"},{"key":"23116_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Russell, S. & Norvig, P. Artificial intelligence: A modern approach. Pearson (2020).","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780190905033.003.0012"},{"key":"23116_CR26","volume-title":"Computers and intractability: A guide to the theory of np-completeness","author":"MR Garey","year":"1979","unstructured":"Garey, M. R. & Johnson, D. S. Computers and intractability: A guide to the theory of np-completeness (Freeman, 1979)."},{"issue":"3","key":"23116_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.1016\/0004-3702(80)90051-X","volume":"14","author":"RM Haralick","year":"1980","unstructured":"Haralick, R. M. & Elliott, G. L. Increasing tree search efficiency for constraint satisfaction problems. Artificial Intelligence 14(3), 263\u2013313 (1980).","journal-title":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"key":"23116_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neucom.2017.06.030","volume":"267","author":"L Jin","year":"2017","unstructured":"Jin, L., Li, S., Liao, B. & Zhang, Z. Zeroing neural networks: A survey. Neurocomputing 267, 597\u2013604 (2017).","journal-title":"Neurocomputing"},{"issue":"12","key":"23116_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5339","DOI":"10.1109\/TNNLS.2020.2966294","volume":"31","author":"L Xiao","year":"2020","unstructured":"Xiao, L. et al. Design and comprehensive analysis of a noise-tolerant znn model with limited-time convergence for time-dependent nonlinear minimization. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems 31(12), 5339\u20135348 (2020).","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems"},{"issue":"11","key":"23116_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3360","DOI":"10.1109\/TNNLS.2019.2891252","volume":"30","author":"L Xiao","year":"2019","unstructured":"Xiao, L., Li, K. & Duan, M. Computing time-varying quadratic optimization with finite-time convergence and noise tolerance: A unified framework for zeroing neural network. IEEE transactions on neural networks and learning systems 30(11), 3360\u20133369 (2019).","journal-title":"IEEE transactions on neural networks and learning systems"},{"issue":"2","key":"23116_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1109\/TNNLS.2015.2435014","volume":"27","author":"B Liao","year":"2015","unstructured":"Liao, B., Zhang, Y. & Jin, L. Taylor discretization of znn models for dynamic equality-constrained quadratic programming with application to manipulators. IEEE transactions on neural networks and learning systems 27(2), 225\u2013237 (2015).","journal-title":"IEEE transactions on neural networks and learning systems"},{"key":"23116_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"395","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neucom.2020.02.121","volume":"402","author":"L Xiao","year":"2020","unstructured":"Xiao, L., Tan, H., Jia, L., Dai, J. & Zhang, Y. New error function designs for finite-time znn models with application to dynamic matrix inversion. Neurocomputing 402, 395\u2013408 (2020).","journal-title":"Neurocomputing"},{"key":"23116_CR33","first-page":"267","volume-title":"Advances in Experimental Social Psychology","author":"JS Adams","year":"1965","unstructured":"Adams, J. S. Inequity in social exchange. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology Vol. 2 (ed. Berkowitz, L.) 267\u2013299 (Academic Press, 1965)."},{"key":"23116_CR34","unstructured":"Burke, R. Multisided fairness for recommendation In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Responsible Recommendation at the 11th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems (RecSys). ACM, New York, NY, USA, (2017)."},{"key":"23116_CR35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, Y. et al. Fairness in recommendation: Foundations, methods, and applications. ACM Transact. Intell. Syst. Technol. 14 (5), 1\u201348 (2023).","DOI":"10.1145\/3610302"},{"issue":"5","key":"23116_CR36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"216","DOI":"10.1108\/09513540010344731","volume":"14","author":"T Volery","year":"2000","unstructured":"Volery, T. & Lord, D. Critical success factors in online education. The International Journal of Educational Management 14(5), 216\u2013223. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/09513540010344731 (2000).","journal-title":"The International Journal of Educational Management"},{"key":"23116_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Ricci, F., Rokach, L. & Shapira. B.: Introduction to Recommender Systems Handbook. Springer ??? https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-0-387-85820-3 (2011).","DOI":"10.1007\/978-0-387-85820-3"},{"issue":"6","key":"23116_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"734","DOI":"10.1109\/TKDE.2005.99","volume":"17","author":"G Adomavicius","year":"2005","unstructured":"Adomavicius, G. & Tuzhilin, A. Toward the next generation of recommender systems: A survey of the state-of-the-art and possible extensions. IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering 17(6), 734\u2013749 (2005).","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering"},{"issue":"2","key":"23116_CR39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2849","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procs.2010.08.010","volume":"1","author":"H Drachsler","year":"2010","unstructured":"Drachsler, H. et al. Issues and considerations regarding sharable data sets for recommender systems in technology enhanced learning. Proced. Comput. Sci. 1 (2), 2849\u20132858 (2010).","journal-title":"Procedia Computer Science"},{"issue":"6","key":"23116_CR40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"601","DOI":"10.1109\/TSMCC.2010.2053532","volume":"40","author":"C Romero","year":"2010","unstructured":"Romero, C. & Ventura, S. Educational data mining: A review of the state of the art. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics 40(6), 601\u2013618 (2010).","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics"},{"issue":"4","key":"23116_CR41","first-page":"883","volume":"30","author":"M Deri","year":"2024","unstructured":"Deri, M. N., Singh, A., Zaazie, P. & Anandene, D. Leveraging artificial intelligence in higher educational institutions. Revista de Educacion y Derecho (30) (2024).","journal-title":"Revista de Educacion y Derecho"},{"key":"23116_CR42","unstructured":"Jeddah, U. Internal Academic Admissions Reports. Confidential Data (2023). https:\/\/uj.edu.sa"},{"key":"23116_CR43","volume-title":"Introduction to Algorithms","author":"TH Cormen","year":"2009","unstructured":"Cormen, T. H., Leiserson, C. E., Rivest, R. L. & Stein, C. Introduction to Algorithms 3rd edn. (MIT Press, 2009).","edition":"3"},{"issue":"4598","key":"23116_CR44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"671","DOI":"10.1126\/science.220.4598.671","volume":"220","author":"S Kirkpatrick","year":"1983","unstructured":"Kirkpatrick, S., Gelatt, C. D. & Vecchi, M. P. Optimization by simulated annealing. Science 220(4598), 671\u2013680. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.220.4598.671 (1983).","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"1","key":"23116_CR45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00940812","volume":"45","author":"V \u010cern\u00fd","year":"1985","unstructured":"\u010cern\u00fd, V. Thermodynamical approach to the traveling salesman problem: An efficient simulation algorithm. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications 45(1), 41\u201351. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/BF00940812 (1985).","journal-title":"Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications"},{"issue":"6","key":"23116_CR46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"865","DOI":"10.2307\/2094626","volume":"43","author":"PD Allison","year":"1978","unstructured":"Allison, P. D. Measures of inequality. American Sociological Review 43(6), 865\u2013880. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/2094626 (1978).","journal-title":"American Sociological Review"},{"issue":"12","key":"23116_CR47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfranklin.2020.06.004","volume":"357","author":"Y Zeng","year":"2020","unstructured":"Zeng, Y., Xiao, L., Li, K., Zuo, Q. & Li, K. Solving time-varying linear inequalities by finite-time convergent zeroing neural networks. Journal of the Franklin Institute 357(12), 8137\u20138155 (2020).","journal-title":"Journal of the Franklin Institute"},{"issue":"7","key":"23116_CR48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3195","DOI":"10.1109\/TCYB.2019.2906263","volume":"50","author":"W Li","year":"2019","unstructured":"Li, W., Xiao, L. & Liao, B. A finite-time convergent and noise-rejection recurrent neural network and its discretization for dynamic nonlinear equations solving. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics 50(7), 3195\u20133207 (2019).","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics"},{"issue":"7","key":"23116_CR49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4724","DOI":"10.1109\/TII.2020.3021438","volume":"17","author":"L Xiao","year":"2020","unstructured":"Xiao, L., Cao, Y., Dai, J., Jia, L. & Tan, H. Finite-time and predefined-time convergence design for zeroing neural network: Theorem, method, and verification. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics 17(7), 4724\u20134732 (2020).","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics"}],"container-title":["Scientific Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-23116-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-23116-6","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-23116-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]],"date-time":"2025-11-13T20:53:10Z","timestamp":1763067190000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-23116-6"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]]},"references-count":49,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["23116"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-025-23116-6","relation":{},"ISSN":["2045-2322"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2045-2322","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]]},"assertion":[{"value":"21 May 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"3 October 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"13 November 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"39756"}}