What should the university of the future look like?

Purpose: In this paper, the author has tried to outline the main ideas in connection with what the author conceives to be the university of the future, a university that should not only educate people within the university system but also prepare them to fill specific job positions at both local and global levels, apart from necessarily providing them with the critical thinking and competences in autonomous learning that will make them flexible and capable of adapting to the job market and to a fast-changing world in general. Design/methodology/approach: The author has revised some of the major issues that are going to determine the direction of the university of the future, i.e. the employment opportunities of tomorrow;the role of new technologies, especially the impact of artificial intelligence (AI);quality in higher education;and internationalization. Findings: The author has also pointed out the importance of the technologies and the great role they indisputably play in present and future education at all levels, a fact that has been particularly and hugely enhanced and promoted by the COVID-19 pandemic situation, thereby facilitating and fostering distance learning. This is very much connected to the application of AI to higher education, another unavoidable issue of utmost importance for the university of the future. While these technological advances present a challenge to universities, which must determine which are necessary and desirable and how to implement them, it is, ultimately, our responsibility to use them, in an ethical way, to the benefit of our students. The university of the future also has to be of high quality, and this involves carrying out important and decisive action having to do with matters of inclusion, hiring policies and the expansion of international opportunities for all parties involved. Originality/value: This paper outlines the main ideas in connection with what the author conceives to be the university of the future, a university that should not only educate people within the university system but also prepare them to fill specific job positions at both local and global levels, apart from necessarily providing them with the critical thinking and competences in autonomous learning that will make them flexible and capable of adapting to the job market and to a fast-changing world in general. Moreover, the role of new technologies (especially the impact of AI), quality and internationalization are also discussed as relevant factors in this view of the university of the future. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

What should the university of the future look like?

Purpose - In this paper, the author has tried to outline the main ideas in connection with what the author conceives to be the university of the future, a university that should not only educate people within the university system but also prepare them to fill specific job positions at both local and global levels, apart from necessarily providing them with the critical thinking and competences in autonomous learning that will make them flexible and capable of adapting to the job market and to a fast-changing world in general. Design/methodology/approach - The author has revised some of the major issues that are going to determine the direction of the university of the future, i.e. the employment opportunities of tomorrow;the role of new technologies, especially the impact of artificial intelligence (AI);quality in higher education;and internationalization. Findings - The author has also pointed out the importance of the technologies and the great role they indisputably play in present and future education at all levels, a fact that has been particularly and hugely enhanced and promoted by the COVID-19 pandemic situation, thereby facilitating and fostering distance learning. This is very much connected to the application of AI to higher education, another unavoidable issue of utmost importance for the university of the future. While these technological advances present a challenge to universities, which must determine which are necessary and desirable and how to implement them, it is, ultimately, our responsibility to use them, in an ethical way, to the benefit of our students. The university of the future also has to be of high quality, and this involves carrying out important and decisive action having to do with matters of inclusion, hiring policies and the expansion of international opportunities for all parties involved. Originality/value - This paper outlines the main ideas in connection with what the author conceives to be the university of the future, a university that should not only educate people within the university system but also prepare them to fill specific job positions at both local and global levels, apart from necessarily providing them with the critical thinking and competences in autonomous learning that will make them flexible and capable of adapting to the job market and to a fast-changing world in general. Moreover, the role of new technologies (especially the impact of AI), quality and internationalization are also discussed as relevant factors in this view of the university of the future.

Access, Efficiency, Inconvenience, and Scarcity as Issues of Online and Distance Learning in Higher Education

This study aimed to explore online and distance learning (ODL) issues related to higher education during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nepal. We applied an online survey design with a five-point Likert scale. We surveyed 71 (57 male and 14 female) postgraduate students in science education at a public higher education institution in Kathmandu, Nepal. A Principal Component Analysis identified four major constructs as the components of ODL issues. They are scarcity, efficiency, access, and inconvenience. The results of the Independent Samples Test (t-test and ANOVA) showed that participants' views about scarcity were significantly different across their gender (male and female) and device use (mobile, laptop, and desktop). They were not significantly different in their views about efficiency, access, and inconvenience across gender, device use, hometown, age group, ethnicity, and school type at .05 level of significance. © 2022 The Author(s).

Global engagement in the post-pandemic world: Challenges and responses. Perspective from the UK

Higher education (HE), particularly its international mobility element, is one of the sectors that have suffered an immediate and substantial impact by the pandemic. The disruption in international travel and the local restrictions to physical contact has caused disruptions in the academic planning and delivery of higher education worldwide. Many argue that the recent pandemic and the move to online and blended learning delivery will define the future of HE. In this paper, we explore two main themes. Firstly, we explore the pre-Covid trends in international higher education. Using national and international data from UNESCO, OECD and other sources, we analyse the global developments in international student mobility. Secondly, we focus on the UK to study the position, share and interplay between the international student and transnational education (TNE) markets. We reflect on the findings of our analysis and discuss the pivot to online education and its pedagogical and regulatory implications. The role of sustainability as a central strategic objective for HEIs is examined through the lenses of TNE in generating local impact and promoting the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). © 2022 The Authors. Higher Education Quarterly published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.