Changing education for a changing world

The proposition of Going Global 2012 was that education can change the future of the world: it has the ability to shape and connect the lives of its citizens. But to do this would require us all to radically re-think the nature of our universities and colleges.

The global population has recently reached seven billion. Yet our current systems and institutions, born of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, only directly reach a small minority of the population. Without a very different vision for the future, large parts of global society will be excluded from the benefits afforded to a highly educated and skilled population.

If education is to change and shape the future, how radical must that vision be? Are traditional institutions equipped to create this new reality or does it call for freer and much more dynamic thinking? How can we move from vision to reality?

Going Global 2012 had three themes and, under each of these, a number of questions are posed. All speakers, presenters and papers were asked to address one or more of these questions.

The future world

Universities and colleges require a radically different vision if they are to shape the world of the twenty first century. We welcomed unique views on what this vision might look like, as well as practical proposals capable of turning it into reality.

• What do we want universities and colleges of the future to look like, and what steps should we take to get there?
• If future global prosperity depends on a highly educated and skilled workforce with an international perspective, what role will institutions play in delivering globally literate citizens?
• Who are the new players in creating the future? And how will universities and colleges collaborate with them?
• How are we preparing young people to be global citizens/employees?
• How will institutions create partnerships in which innovation flourishes?

The connected world

As the world becomes ever more connected, do we now have a greater awareness of the apparent disconnections between cultures, generations and socio-economic groups? What is the role of education in reconnecting the peoples of the world?

• How will institutions reach beyond traditional boundaries?
• What role will institutions play in making the world a safer place?
• How will institutional collaborations and partnerships shape and create a connected world?
• Is internationalisation a real driving force in connecting the world, and what part does mobility have to play?

Winners and losers

The future of universities and colleges will require them to reach out beyond their traditional geographical, cultural and academic boundaries. One of the consequences of institutions becoming more inclusive is that their barriers - which safeguard their ownership of knowledge and give them authority - will disappear. Who could benefit from this shift? Who might share, or in some cases take over, the traditional roles of universities and colleges?

• Who will be the winners and losers, and how will this change and shape education?
• Public/private – an uncomfortable partnership or an opportunity to innovate?
• Knowledge economies, global challenges and global agendas - how will institutions define their role?
• Who will measure the benefits of education and how can institutions better demonstrate their value?