The Future Role of Universities in the Innovation Ecosystem

The ninth set of articles from The Future of Universities Thoughtbook | Universities During Times of Crisis introduces Chief Executive of CSIRO, Larry Marshall, Chairman and Co-founder of PAXTER, Pierre Tapie, and President of IE University, Santiago Iñiguez. 

In his article ‘Collaboration, Specialisation and a Focus on Fewer, Bigger Things Will Be Key to Success’, Larry Marshall imagines greater specialisation and differentiation across institutions, building the foundation to more extensive collaboration across a well-connected ecosystem. Clarity on the role each university plays within the innovation system is the key to collaboration. 

In his article ‘Fostered by Crisis, How to imagine the Future of the Universities Within Societies and What Should It Be?’, Pierre Tapie reminds us of pre-COVID megatrends, such as digitalization, demographic shifts, life-long learning and geopolitical shifts, and the effect of the pandemic on how universities will respond to them and invent the best future for society.  

In his article ‘Surfing the New Liquid Education’, Santiago Iñiguez explains the need for optimising the hybrid forms of education not as necessity caused by the pandemic, but as a permanent, improved and more effective way of teaching and learning.

The Future of Universities Thoughtbook | Universities During Times of Crisis is a compilation of 45 perspectives of international thought and practice leaders. 

The Thoughtbook has gathered the perspectives of leaders and champions at the forefront on how universities can shape the world during times of crisis, presenting a range of possible futures. This edition creates a vision for the future of higher education institutions and how they will impact their communities during times of crisis, complementing the inaugural international Future of Universities Thoughtbook and the Australian and North American editions. The contributions are divided into six thematic sections – Imagine a University…, Crisis as a Driving Force, Disrupting Teaching and Learning, Collision of Technology and Humanity, Socially Engaged University and Entrepreneurship and University-Industry Interaction. Together, the articles provide a 360-degree view of universities from the perspective of different stakeholder groups.

For more information and to order or download your copy of The Future of Universities Thoughtbook | Universities During Times of Crisis visit our website www.future-universities.com

Header photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash