As I went around Australia meeting some of the top educators and intellectuals, I could see how the education system is evolving and transforming into a virtual life-time of learning ecosystem. My interaction with senior education partners from Deloitte Australia made me think and ask, what will be the university of the future? Will we be requiring big campuses? Will the students be sitting in the closed classrooms? And will the faculty be using the whiteboard and powerpoint for pedagogy?
With augmented intelligence, rapidly changing tech scenarios and proliferating online platforms, the students already are adapting edutech. The challenge now for the universities and the faculty is to step into this disruption and adapt to the merger of learning with its solution-oriented applications for the larger good of society. Teaching would not be limited to mere academic theories, but more significantly moving over to its practical application to solve real world problems.
I have noticed that sprawling university campuses will no longer be needed. I discovered the trend already catching up in vertical buildings located amidst high density business hubs in the cities, which are more of startup zones where students could apply their learnings, innovate to find newer solutions, and earn while they learn and work as interns.
I could see students in groups with their faculty members researching to discover newer ways to ease the lives of humans and address their pain points. And I have seen students from different streams like architecture, art, science and engineering, working together on different projects.
{{/usCountry}}I could see students in groups with their faculty members researching to discover newer ways to ease the lives of humans and address their pain points. And I have seen students from different streams like architecture, art, science and engineering, working together on different projects.
{{/usCountry}}It is not in the distant future that the faculty, entrepreneurs, and professionals from diverse fields encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, mulling over the pressing human challenges and learning through experience. The future universities have to build an ecosystem to encourage innovation, research, creativity, critical thinking and acquiring collaborative skills.
The lecture theatres would be replaced by incubators or co-working spaces where business and students can explore newer possibilities and invent ways for better living conditions for humans.
The universities are already dispensing with various facilities for extracurricular with other collaborative efforts with private service providers for sports, gyms, swimming pools, and hostels, and help students leverage facilities available in the city.
Education will no longer remain limited-time with a goal to obtain a certificate or degree, but would largely become a life-long journey for the students to stay meaningful and useful to society by having skills that can enhance the people’s lifestyles, and making life accessible, sustainable and equitable for all. And this shall remain a life-long commitment to continue to upskill oneself, go back to the drawing boards in the universities, to unlearn, relearn and learn newer ways from the experts keeping pace with the rapid technological transformations.
One of the key attributes of young people’s personality that would flourish, is finding their life’s purpose. When people start thinking about their education and power of their knowledge for the larger good of others, the paradigm shifts and transforms the personality into one that is more useful and meaningful for society.
Though these trends offer potential directions for the future of universities, the actual implementation and adoption will vary from institutions to institutions. Looking at the rapid advent of technology, the universities and their faculty would have to explore newer professional and industry collaborations, and evolve a culture of innovation, critical thinking and research to prepare the next generation for professional and personal growth.
The core purpose of universities, however, will likely remain focused on providing quality education, fostering critical thinking, encouraging innovation and immersing students into research for the larger good of humanity. And I foresee the next generation evolving into better human beings, empathetic and caring, using their learnings for bringing joy to the lives of others, would be much more satisfying for an edu-preneur like me.
(The writer is the vice-chancellor of Shoolini University.)