COVID-19 deluged the staid higher-education system with a welcome tsunami.
To their credit, universities quickly adapted. They migrated to online learning, much to the chagrin of students who, having lost the potential to network and present themselves in classrooms, now demand discounts on their fees.
The virus has also precipitated four disruptive waves that pose an existential threat to a university. First, antagonists of the traditional mode of teaching will have us believe that the pandemic has ushered in an era of online education.
We beg to differ. Once the pandemic subsides, universities and students will pivot to physical lectures with one qualification. The infrastructure and experience gleaned from online learning will cause a university to gravitate towards blended learning, involving a skillful meld of physical and virtual classrooms.
These virtual classrooms can be conducted during the course or for certain semesters. Semester breaks can also offer an opportunity to go online for student learning. There are advantages galore. Lecturers save time as they make online materials available for students to do tutorials and assignments on the web.
Students then take ownership of learning and discover more of the knowledge gained in the classroom.
FIRST, lecturers will have more time for other pursuits such as developing new courses, consulting with the industry and undertaking research. They can better concentrate on teaching and forging a closer relationship with students, which will surely enrich their university experience.
SECOND, the Fourth Industrial Revolution demands a new set of skills for the marketplace. If universities previously regurgitated their old and out-dated curriculums, now is the time to redesign those curriculums to suit the demands of the marketplace. It is never too late to teach students critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Entrepreneurial and digital skills will enable them to venture into start-ups and self-employment. Universities have to take on board real problems for students to work on rather than encouraging cramming for exams.
Howard Gardner, in his 2005 book Five Minds for the Future, argued that while specialisation is good as it offers an expertise, one should also learn how to synthesise information from disparate disciplines, because solutions to complex problems are often found at the confluence of varied disciplines.
However smart we are, we cannot possibly have all the answers, but a bunch of smart people arguing with candour can arrive at them.
Therefore, a respectful mindset that one can always learn from others should be inculcated in students. Creativity and integrity are other virtues that should be forged by any university worthy of its salt.
Combined, these skills will make a graduate ever-relevant even as machines voraciously devour 47 per cent of all jobs in the coming decade. Moreover, such realignment of learning away from purely academic content will ensure 100 per cent graduate employability.
THIRD, as public subsidies becomes scarcer and the pandemic restricts international-student mobility, a university has to focus on its sustainability. It will have to think like a business to contain its spiralling costs and diversify its revenue stream.
It will have to intensify the marketing of income-generating products such as executive education. Such programmes will not only fulfil the universities' commitment towards life-long learning but also offer avenues for the alumni and executives to upskill.
FOURTH, the relationship between economic vitality and the health of universities is symbiotic. One cannot exist without the other.
A strong economy will surely enable universities to prosper, and through research and learning, universities offer society better medicines, technological innovations and help develop leadership and talent.
Higher education is at a crossroads. Universities have to adapt and prepare their students for the future. Their education model should be forward-looking and relevant to the real world.
That is the only way that they can equip their students to face one of the most competitive job markets in history. Only universities that do so will survive.
The writer is the Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University's Vice-Chancellor