Universities of the Future: Technology Isn't the Only Story
A healthy debate continues to rage on the future of higher education. With 3.2 billion people now online, technology is viewed as the most disruptive factor to the existing University model. You can listen to contours of this debate at NPR’s “More Clicks, Fewer Bricks: The Lecture Hall is Obsolete.” But technology isn’t the only story when considering the future of higher education.
NESTA has recently identified the emergence of a new kind of University in one of its 10 predictions for 2016 — a list of trends, social movements and technological breakthroughs believed to impact our lives over the next year. NESTA has described this new model as the challenge-driven, global problem-solving University. They point to demand from both students and communities and see more Universities rising to the challenge in 2016.
University Social Responsibility
We’ve witnessed the role of business in society evolve in recent years. More corporations are now providing resources to help solve society’s most pressing challenges. In India, corporate social responsibility has even been legally mandated. Social responsibility suggests we all have a duty to contribute some resources to the welfare of society and the environment.
Universities can argue that their contribution to society is hardly in question. However, critics point to years of rising tuition costs in American Universities during a time when income levels have remained largely flat. The bottom line is that Universities can do more to contribute, and they can start in communities where they live.
Global Orientation, Community Engagement
Universities are global hubs of brainpower and youth energy. Directed toward quality education and research, these resources help drive economic and societal progress. Universities also play a key role fueling innovation and technological progress through government and industry collaborations. However, many Universities find themselves disconnected from the communities they live in.
With well-designed community partnerships a similar success formula can be applied to help local communities thrive and tackle difficult problems. Universities have much to offer here. Universities can help:
- frame local problems in a global context
- build the problem-solving capacity of community leaders
- connect the youth with local, resource-strapped organizations
Further, this collaboration is a mutually beneficial proposal. Universities can benefit through:
- Improved social science research by closing the gap between theory and practice. Academic researchers can better test their theories with strong partnerships with community leaders on the ground.
- Improved student satisfaction and outcomes in leadership and skill development. With better community partnerships, university students can get out of the classroom more. In the community they will develop practical, problem-solving and civic leadership skills.
To realize these opportunities, though, University incentives need to revised. It starts by encouraging more direct academic inquiry into unsolved problems in local communities. The measure of quality academic research should not be solely determined by other academics in super-specialized disciplines. While measuring the societal impact of research can be difficult, progress can only happen with better academia-community engagement. Ultimately, incentives are key to ensuring that sustainable models of partnership between academia and communities develop.
Pioneering Universities
The education sector is generally slow to change, but there has been some progress here. Launched in 2008, Ashoka U has been helping Universities “become global drivers of social change by transforming the educational experience into a world-changing experience”. To date, thirty (30) Universities have received its Changemaker Campus designation.
Universities in Africa and South Asia, with the world’s largest youth populations, have much at stake in this future. They also have the opportunity to design new Universities to meet these 21st-century challenges. If done well, these countries can capitalize on their demographic dividends and build fast-growing, prosperous economies. However, if done poorly, they risk increasing levels civil unrest and conflict in society.
Decentralized Future
Historically, Universities could operate in ivory tower silos to create new knowledge for the benefit of society. But the future is growing more decentralized, more networked, and more open. Some Universities have struggled in this new environment, losing their relevance. Universities that adapt will continue to thrive. It will be these Universities that play a leading role driving economic and societal progress and prosperity.
Originally published on LinkedIn.