With its theme of \u201cA New Generational Contract<\/strong>\u201d, the 52nd<\/sup> St. Gallen Symposium in May 2023 explored ways to advance long-term, future transformations while dealing with multiple, overlapping crises in the present. In this context, a cross-generational Roundtable on the Future Purpose of Higher Education<\/strong> brought together educators, university presidents, students, and edtech entrepreneurs. From embracing interdisciplinary education to rethinking research and the role of technology, they explored essential steps universities can take to continuously create value in light of evolving challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussions focused specifically around three themes<\/strong>: university\u2019s role in addressing grand societal challenges, preparing students for a technology-driven future, and navigating the risks and opportunities of private sector collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Addressing Grand Societal Challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Involving diverse stakeholders \u2013 and students in particular<\/strong>: To address the complexity of societal challenges, it is necessary, according to the Roundtable participants, to involve diverse stakeholders with varied backgrounds and expertise in shaping curricula, research questions, and teaching methods.This especially means to involve students as members of the next generation far more in questions of universities\u2019 institutional development. \u201cVery often I find myself speaking at conferences and the youngest person in the room is 35 or 40,\u201d one participant pointed out. The Roundtable participants agreed that universities could very well use the knowledge, passion, and capacity of their students to better make sense of the role of research and teaching in addressing societies\u2019 grand challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabling interdisciplinary education<\/strong>: To enable students to effectively engage in solving today\u2019s interconnected challenges, the significance of interdisciplinary education was emphasised again and again. As many of such challenges \u2013 such as the climate crisis, epidemics, and inequalities \u2013 do not fit neatly into the confines of a single academic discipline, universities should empower learners to think critically and approach issues holistically. This would also mean that courses are designed more from a learner\u2019s perspective, and less based on faculty interests and divisions. In addition, learning would centre around real-world cases and enable students to turn knowledge into innovation and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preparing Students for a Technology-Driven Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Critically incorporating \u2013 and not prohibiting \u2013 new technologies in teaching<\/strong>: New technologies such as ChatGPT fundamentally question established ways of learning and testing skills in universities, as well as the education field more broadly. As one participant noted, \u201cif used incorrectly, [ChatGPT] can undermine learning and give students a means not to learn at all\u201d. But instead of prohibiting students\u2019 usage of new technologies such as ChatGPT, curricula should enable students to combine their own creativity with the capabilities provided by technology, but also incorporate critical reflections about what this technology means for societies more broadly and where its limitations are. Besides, participants called for a reflection on what is inherently human that technology cannot provide and consequently focus university\u2019s teaching more on such creative, inter-personal skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enhancing peer-to-peer learning<\/strong>: One method that can help cultivate such skills is collaborative, peer-to-peer learning at university, fostering joint projects and discussions among students. This, it was argued by a renowned educator, \u201cneeds teachers that are ready to give up their front-row teaching styles\u201d. Yet, as one Roundtable participant noted, \u201cyou are not able to introduce peer-to-peer learning top-down, but you can create a setting where teachers can try it out.\u201d What this ultimately necessitates is the availability of continuous, life-long learning opportunities for university educators themselves to concurrently update their teaching methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Risks and Opportunities of Collaborations with the Private Sector<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Navigating independence and collaboration<\/strong>: Universities serve as spaces for free research and as educators of critical thinkers. Therefore, maintaining universities\u2019 independence<\/strong> in research and teaching was considered paramount to remain a trusted authority, and the cornerstone upon which any collaboration with the private sector should rest. At the same time, the benefits of diverse collaborative models were seen as equally clear<\/strong>, including additional funding opportunities, hands-on learning experiences for students, and insights from practice that can inform better, more relevant research questions and learning methodologies. Navigating this balance between independence and mutual was hence considered key, through models which create value for universities, students, and companies alike, while safeguarding the autonomy of research and teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Educating critical and accountable future employees<\/strong>: Besides, participants emphasised that the private sector directly benefits from university\u2019s independence in yet another way: through the critically thinking, accountable, and self-reflected students<\/strong> such environments help grow. As companies are increasingly challenged to define and live up to their broader societal and ecological purpose and responsibility, students with such qualities were seen as \u201cthe best possible employees\u201d for businesses<\/strong> seeking to thrive in this new environment. Helping cultivate the next generation of corporate decision-makers in this way was thus seen as an additional pathway through which universities may help address society\u2019s grand challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From left to right: Last row: David Wagner, Prof. Xue Lan, Prof. Bernhard Ehrenzeller, Uliana Polyakova, Patrick Awuah, Philippe Narval, Salman Amin Khan, Esther Wojcicki, Prof. Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Manzoni; Standing: Wyatt Bruton, Mingqi Xie; Second row: Selina Lorenz, Benedict Kurz, Devi Sahny, Prof. Naomi H\u00e4fner, Prof. Manuel Ammann, Sara Filipcic; First row: Martin Waldh\u00e4usl, Prof. Miriam Meckel, Anna Laura Schmidt, Prof. Angela Owusu-Ansah<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We are grateful for all participants of the Roundtable for sharing their expertise As we confront the grand societal challenges of our time, universities and other higher education institutions can contribute to driving meaningful solutions. The Future ofHigher Education Roundtable at the 52nd St. Gallen Symposium explored new ways of teaching, learning, and researching to help accelerate change. With its theme of \u201cA New Generational Contract\u201d, the 52nd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":13398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[18,153,187],"class_list":["post-13397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"xl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"xxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"xxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"xxxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"xxxxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Banner_Gross_Ehrenzeller-und-Raum.jpg",960,640,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":" As we confront the grand societal challenges of our time, universities and other higher education institutions can contribute to driving meaningful solutions. The Future ofHigher Education Roundtable at the 52nd St. Gallen Symposium explored new ways of teaching, learning, and researching to help accelerate change. With its theme of \u201cA New Generational Contract\u201d, the 52nd St. Gallen Symposium in May 2023 explored ways to advance long-term, future transformations while dealing with multiple, overlapping crises in the present. In this context, a cross-generational Roundtable on the Future Purpose of Higher Education brought together educators, university presidents, students, and edtech entrepreneurs. From…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Uncategorized<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Marcial Bollinger","url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/author\/marcial\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","authors":[{"term_id":18,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"st-gallen-symposium","display_name":"St. Gallen Symposium","avatar_url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/gravatars\/190aabef85c14d92eed157195be986a7","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""},{"term_id":153,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"institute-of-technology-management-item-hsg","display_name":"Institute of Technology Management (ITEM-HSG)","avatar_url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/gravatars\/762b22de4bf1bf3924204e9b02554eaa","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""},{"term_id":187,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"institute-for-management-development-imd","display_name":"Institute for Management Development (IMD)","avatar_url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/gravatars\/762b22de4bf1bf3924204e9b02554eaa","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13397"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13403,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13397\/revisions\/13403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13397"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=13397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"From](\"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Unten-im-Artikel_Klein_Gruppenfoto-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
and insights. For the preparation, execution, and post-processing of this Roundtable, we
would like to thank Prof. Naomi H\u00e4fner, David Wagner, Selina Lorenz, Uliana Polyakova,
Prof. Bernhard Ehrenzeller, Philippe Narval, Prof. Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Manzoni, and Greta
Schauss.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"