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What changes will HE have to prepare for by 2030?

What are the megatrends shaping the world around us? How are they transforming the future of global higher education? What are the implications for the mobility of international students and how should universities adapt their engagement strategies to prepare for change?

These questions will be discussed by a panel of university presidents who will share their perspectives and experiences in a webinar organised by StudyPortals on 24 January. University World News is the media partner for the event.

Click here to attend the live webinar or receive a video recording.

The webinar discussion is framed around a new report entitled Envisioning Pathways to 2030: Megatrends shaping the future of global higher education and international student mobility, which will be published by StudyPortals on the day of the webinar.

“The biggest challenge in high-income countries is that the traditional college-going population is shrinking while the non-traditional college population over age 24 and post retirement age is continuing to expand,” says Rahul Choudaha, executive vice-president of global engagement, research and intelligence at StudyPortals, the global study choice platform.

“In Africa and parts of Asia there is a huge demographic dividend due to a burgeoning youth market and this market offers opportunities to established higher education institutions with international strategies.”

At the same time new countries are innovating and improving their higher education programmes, others are bringing in English taught programmes, and digital developments are opening up new modes of provision and unbundling of credentials.

Choudaha, who is the moderator of the webinar, says the international mobility of students has gained pace since the financial crisis a decade ago, rising from 1.5 million in 2007 to 4.6 million in 2015. That crisis brought unexpected changes to the operating environment for established universities, with persistent budget cuts.

Now we are on the cusp of another major transformation driven by the population shifts and emergence of countries hungry for expansion of higher education. And this comes against a backdrop of political turmoil and sweeping changes brought on by digitalisation and automation.

“The high degree of uncertainty in the world today makes it highly critical for institutions to balance agility and consistency in how they plan, innovate and execute their global engagement strategies,” he says.

“Globally, the higher education sector will experience a continued growth in enrolment. However, the nature and direction of growth will be different.”

“The report and webinar will illustrate the transformative impact of megatrends and provide a framework for higher education institutions to reflect, assess and discover their alternative pathways for global engagement leading up to 2030,” he says.

Click here to attend the live webinar or receive a video recording.

The panelists for the webinar include:

Dr David Finegold is president of Chatham University, United States. Previously, he served as senior vice president for lifelong learning and strategic growth at Rutgers University. Dr Finegold has spent 30 years studying and advising governments around the world on education and training systems and their connection with the changes in the global economy.

Dr Fernando León García is president of CETYS University System, Mexico. He led CETYS’ institutional and programme accreditations in the US and drove one of the highest student mobility rates in Mexico. Previously, Dr León García served as chancellor of City University of Seattle’s International Division and executive vice president for academic affairs at CityU.

Dr Wendy Purcell is a professor at Harvard University in the US following her presidency of Plymouth University, United Kingdom (2007-15), where she set out its strategic enterprise mission, taking it to the top 1% of all universities, 37th among the world’s modern universities and first green university. She is a former non-executive board member to the UK government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which was responsible for research and universities.

Dr Rahul Choudaha is executive vice president of global engagement, research and intelligence at StudyPortals, US. Choudaha is a recognised scholar practitioner with expertise on data-informed internationalisation strategies in the context of shifting student mobility trends and evolving transnational education models. He is the moderator of the webinar.