Higher Education for the Future

Education and education exclusion are two mammoth social and political challenges in a society characterized by diverse social groups. Although ‘self-financing regime’ helped to barricade the outflow of money from the state, it also hampered the ‘social equity’ in education and hence germinated the seed of education exclusion in Kerala. The data for the study have been collected through a field survey involving 900 students belonging to three professional study disciplines in a social-class framework based on multi-stage stratified random sampling. Factor analysis, correspondence analysis and binary logistic regression have been used to epitomize the significant factors that play a key role in the process of education exclusion in a social-class framework based on student perception. Empirical realities affirm significant relations for the presence of education exclusion among the marginalized social groups. Skill rating based on social category shows a clear inter-community difference with Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs) coming in the low/medium and low skill index, whereas the general and the Other Backward Class (OBC)/other eligible communities (OEC) featuring closer to medium–high and high-skill index. A demand supply evaluation is necessary for policy nesting, with a view of understanding the gap involved in the process as part of the professional education planning in the state.

Being the leader of a university is a unique and diverse challenge ever since universities have been described by Cohen and Marchin (1974) as ‘organized anarchies’ with high inertia, unclear technologies and problematic goals. This could be in part due to the fact of the temporary status of their roles amplifying a sort of conflict of identity in that they seek to maintain an academic identity, whilst being under pressure to take a long–term strategy. Another challenging element in today’s world is the high competitive and changing environment that requires sometimes dramatic and long-term decisions in order to guarantee the survival of the academic institution. The current period presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities to universities and there is no doubt that the quality of leadership in the sector is crucial to developing the necessary entrepreneurialism and resilience required (Wooldridge, 2011). Drawing from the author’s own experience of working more than 20 years in developing leaders and adding the experience as professor of strategic management and manager in the higher education sector, the purpose of this article is to present a focused strategy summarized in six practical points that can help leaders of colleges and universities reinvent their industry and survive in the long term.

It is no secret that the student attending university classes today is different from the learner of several years ago (Blakefield, 2013). Educators have been recently encouraged to shift the paradigm of traditional lecture-style education to incorporate service-learning and experiential activities involving media and technology whenever possible so that classroom instruction will appeal to the next generation of students (Gagliardi, 2007). This essay will discuss the preparation and personal experiences of a first–year faculty member creating a new course design for teaching History of Psychology to include a socially constructed classroom that appeals to the learner. Course design is based on the social constructivist philosophy that involves discovering truths in a collaborative format with the instructor facilitating truth discovery. Use of technology was left up to the individual learner and learning outcomes were achieved through use of learning contracts. Each student in the classroom set up a contract unique to his or her needs based on demonstrating learning outcome achievement to the course instructor on various benchmark occasions throughout the semester. Challenges and risks will be explored, as will be suggestions for future course designs based on student feedback and instructor experience.

With college textbook prices soaring, acceptable solutions are difficult to find. After going over the controversial past of textbooks, some of the reasons for these skyrocketing costs and the impact they are having on students, professors and higher education institutions are reviewed. This article outlines a solution that is pleasing to all interested parties: students, faculty, administration, legislatures and the public in general. By eliminating traditional textbooks and replacing them with books from personal libraries, the cost goes down; the intellectual challenge for both the students and the professor rises; and productivity, as defined by completion rates, improves. This is a win/win solution with very little downside that can transform the teaching/learning process. No longer do textbooks need to be a barrier to higher education; instead, personal library books can increase the rigour and create significant learning in students. It is a simple solution to a problem that is becoming out of control in today’s college classroom.

In recent years, the overall context of global mobility has significantly changed, so has the strategies to attract international students. What we observe now is the changes in strategies and the emergence of new host countries and increased opportunities for studying abroad. In an intense competitive environment of global higher education market, host countries are targeting students from Asian origin in general and Indian students in particular. Increasing competition for international students has caused complexities in choices and decision-making process adopted by students. It is observed that the new student body of a middle-class segment are also becoming a part of mobile students. This pattern has deepened the element of heterogeneity among students going abroad. There is direct implication of these changes for the countries particularly in the area of recruitment and retention and strategic international student marketing. This article explores the decision-making process of different segments of students. The methodology of the article involves a sample of 362 prospective and 55 currently abroad Indian students. For the analysis of the data, a binary logistic regression model has been used. Findings of this study will provide an understanding of push and pull factors driving mobility of Indian students. This article will provide international students’ recruiters a better understanding of choices made by the students and how to use different marketing strategies.

Massification of higher education is a contemporary phenomenon, and Bangladesh is an excellent example of massification in the sector. With increased alertness worldwide among nations, policy-makers and development bodies, massification of higher education is a requirement of time. Increasing number of youth also contribute to the phenomenon across the globe. Bangladesh, with a population of 160 million, has a good proportion of youth with the need of quality higher education. With the recent advent of Bangladesh as a lower middle income country and the increase in the per capita income of its population, the higher education sector of Bangladesh is attracting immense investments. Bangladesh Government foreseeing the eminent advancement in the country allowed the establishments of private universities in 1992 to cater to the growing higher education need of the country along with public universities. Private universities brought new dimension in the sector and underwent massive growth. All-out success of the first private university of Bangladesh attracted others to quickly enter the market and make use of the high-yield emerging market. However, most private universities have commodified their service. The focus is less on quality education, research and innovation, and philanthropic contribution to society. Business-minded people being at the forefront of the booming higher education industry, revenue and profit are first on their agenda rather than education, the main reason why they are in the sector. The article delves deep into the details of the conflicting dilemma of massification leading towards marketization (MtM) in the sector. It tries to explore the variances between industry potential, expected standard and anticipated service by the students, the ultimate recipients of higher education.

This article examines the growth of engineering education in India in the post-economic reform period using the secondary data published by Ministry of Human Resource Development, University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education. Particularly, this article has focused on three important dimensions of engineering and technical education in India—institutional expansion, enrolment pattern and public financing. It finds that there has been a massive expansion of both institutions and enrolment in engineering education in India during the post-liberalization period, and this expansion has apparently taken place in the private sector. Also, as expected, the enrolment in engineering education has increased fast compared to other disciplines and overall enrolment growth of higher education. However, this massive expansion of engineering education has not been able to provide access to the disadvantaged groups, namely women, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The study also reveals that the public expenditure on engineering education has not increased at par with the increase in enrolment in this sector, which has resulted in the decline in per student public expenditure. The issues and concerns discussed in this article have brought up some promising avenues for future research in this area.

Critical thinking is the kind of ‘good’ thinking used in everyday life to increase the chances of success. A critical thinker combines skill and will when working the odds in one’s advantage. Nevertheless, thinking is very often far from rational. Since people are built to believe, since living is all about choosing and since education liberates, critical thinking is essential: in higher education, in the job market and in everyday life. Yet, it needs explicit instruction and inclusion in the curriculum. This article, grounded on current literature and oriented towards the future, addresses the higher mission of higher education. Higher education must aim to prepare individuals to become active citizens, who address life as a process of meaningful lifelong learning and who are devoted to non-stop regulation of thinking and behaviour, which are guided by ethics and evidence for personal and common prosperity and, more important, freedom.