Opinions

We have seen sustained, rapid and substantial growth in rates of participation in global higher education and correspondingly in the size of university providers over the last 20 years.
This has largely been to serve expansion in local domestic markets and parallel developments of international education. The global model of a university has been built over 1000 years and started with a focus on being elite, small scale and research-intensive centres of excellence.

Just about every global university switched to almost entirely online delivery as a crisis response during the lockdown years of the pandemic itself. But not all were equally prepared for such a rapid switch and not all are equally well placed to extend and build from the lessons learned and the experience gained.

The emergence of hybrid academic and professional roles in more complex teaching and learning and research settings has the potential to either add to or reduce this level of specialisation.

Recent events have given a demonstration of how empathy, compassion and authenticity have become paramount in leadership. This shift in emphasis has been a feature over a longer period during the pandemic and the wider current global uncertainties and challenges.

The worldwide expansion of demand for higher education during the past half century has fostered systemic national reform efforts to expand access to greater proportions of respective populations. Educational technologies have exponentially accelerated these efforts and changed their means of delivery.

The HEDx podcast turns 50 with its next episode. In doing so it will feature Michael Crow of Arizona State University as a global leader in higher education innovation and leadership, outlining a bold and differentiated global strategy.

Many global universities have long held positions as being institutions with a reputation. When surveys are made of which professions we trust and believe in, scientists and professors usually feature toward the top of any lists, and politicians, as an example, feature towards the bottom. The pandemic has added to this variety of reputations in some ways.

TEDI-London is a fascinating example of the second scenario. It was formed and launched out of an alliance between 3 powerhouse universities in the US, UK and Australia.

The current period is one of many dilemmas for all universities. They are celebrating newly busy campuses again without knowing how long students and staff will stick to them. They all missed providing face to face social interactions, which are novel now.

A survey launched last week in London, by the National Centre for Entrepreneurial Education, reported on the priorities for UK higher education leaders as they emerge from the pandemic. It reported that the greatest challenge involves predicting the longer-term scenarios for the sector.