Global Challenges, Local Solutions: The Role of Universities in Education for the Future
Fecha: noviembre 2024
Parama Chaudhury, Cloda Jenkins
University, education, AI, MOOC, lifelong learning, climate emergency, pandemic, fake news, diversity, inclusivity, funding
Beyond Ivory Tower. Navigating Higher Education in the Future
Universities around the world provide a crucial space for learning and social development for a seemingly ever-growing number of students, from a wide range of backgrounds and at different stages in their life. The fundamental role of universities as the center of education, optimizing the synergies with research, remains today and into the future. What is changing is the context within which universities operate. Financial pressures, geopolitical tensions, global climate and health emergencies and superfast technological change present challenges to the delivery of high-quality university experiences in a competitive global higher education market. In parallel, the demographics of staff and student bodies are changing. The welcome (albeit all too slow) improvement in diversity and an increased focus on lifelong learning challenge the traditional model of what is taught and how it is taught. In this chapter we discuss how these challenges affect the ability of universities to deliver on their integrated research-education missions. Putting measures in place to ensure resilience to shocks and an ability to adapt with changing context can allow for universities, open to evolving, to turn the apparent challenges into opportunities for growth and improved education experiences for staff and students. Impact and continued value-added comes from being agile.