Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 3 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 3 (2023)

CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

According to the document, Europe’s universities are keen to live up to the challenges of the times. The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing economic and social crisis will cast a shadow over the coming years but will also present opportunities for innovation in educational institutions. The authors list ecological, economic and social concerns, the digital transition and major political developments as some of the main drivers of change the universities will face in the new decade. Finding a sustainable equilibrium is the key to all universities.

While the situations and profiles of universities across Europe vary and are very much shaped by their specific local, regional and national contexts, some overall external trends can be observed:

• The climate crisis has led many universities to put their missions into the service of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• Technological developments are changing lives and disrupting labor markets. Producing knowledge for new technologies and social innovation is a central element of the universities’ activities. However, they also have to ensure that the impact of new technologies on our societies is studied and evaluated and that graduates are equipped for labor markets that are changing due to digitalization and the development of artificial intelligence.

While this guide is aimed at providing inspiration and support for Europe’s universities, it is also an invitation to partners to join forces for a better future and for policy makers to ensure the right framework conditions.

• Democracy and political systems are under pressure in all European countries to different degrees. This also threatens academic freedom and university autonomy.

• The spread of false information, fabricated evidence and the concept of “alternative truth” undermine the value and the role of science in society. Universities need to position themselves on this issue and find new and more effective ways to help counter this trend.

• Research, innovation and education are an increasingly important factor in geopolitics. Europe’s universities must share and co-create knowledge on a global scale.

• In many European countries higher education continues to be a major motor for socioeconomic mobility.

• Many universities face a continuous underfunding challenge. This leads to an uneven playing field and to increased competition between universities for resources.