Which Aspects of the Universities Will Change and Which Will Remain?

The fourteenth set of articles from The Future of Universities Thoughtbook | Universities During Times of Crisis introduces Global Tertiary Education Expert, Jamil Salmi, Pro-Rector for Innovation and Society at the University of Stavanger, Rune Dahl Fitjar, and Managing Partner at Technopolis, Rebecca Allinson.

In his article ‘The Museum of 20^th Century Universities’, Jamil Salmi invites the readers to join him on a tour around the Museum of 20th Century Universities through a flashback from the future. He envisions a future where learners build up a qualifications portfolio throughout their working life, learning from multiple knowledge providers.

In his article ‘IMAGINE Universities That Help Restructure Regions’, Rune Dahl Fitjar describes how universities should embrace a connector role and help restructure their regions through cooperation and meaningful engagement with society. Rune also describes the universities multi-faceted role that involves both technical and social sciences and humanities research, education, innovation, and outreach activities.

In her article ‘Balancing Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Academic Values’, Rebecca Allinson describes the balance in higher education between innovators and entrepreneurs and the old guard. She advocates that while the universities should adapt to changing circumstances, they should also take care to preserve the quality, rigour, inspiration and excellence in teach and research as some of the core values of universities.

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 Annie Spratt on Unsplash.