Pardee Center Hosts Webinar on Future of Universities
Students crowd the Mugar Library during finals to finish papers and prepare for their last exams.
Photo by Dana J. Quigley for Boston University Photography
On March 23, 2021, The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, an affiliated center of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University (BU), hosted the second of its “The Future of…” series webinars, which focused on the future of the university. The remaining webinar in the series – taking April 22 – will focus on the digital economy.
The event featured leading experts in the field of higher education, including: Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer, Times Higher Education (THE); Kenneth Elmore, Associate Provost & Dean of Students, BU; Scott Jaschik, Co-founder & Editor, Inside Higher Ed; and Barbara R. Snyder, President, Association of American Universities (AAU) and Former President, Case Western Reserve University. The panel was moderated by Adil Najam, Dean of the Pardee School.
Panelists explored the most pressing questions facing the higher education sector, such as: what does change in higher education look like; will the COVID-19 pandemic change universities forever; and how will higher education be different in ten years?
Speakers echoed that COVID-19 has changed how universities will operate for ever, but they also noted that there are still areas where the sector can improve to maximize public good. While elite research universities have weathered the pandemic fairly well, speakers expressed concern about community colleges and regional public schools that don’t have nearly the same resources.
In addition, speakers expressed a desire to make higher education more affordable and accessible, increase the level of university engagement on pressing societal issues, and clearly express the good that research universities provide to the general public.
A recording of the webinar can be watched below.
The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future is an interdisciplinary research center affiliated with the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. Through programs of scholarship, outreach, and education, the Pardee Center works to improve public decision-making and policy to train future generations of interdisciplinary scholars. Read more about the Pardee Center on their website.