This report compares the impact of digital technology on Higher Education in South Asia and Europe. Both regions are at the beginning of a Fourth Industrial Revolution that is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and relate to one another, and Higher Education has an absolutely crucial role to play.
We asked leading educators, policy makers and academics in South Asia and Europe what their views were on the impact of digitalisation in Higher Education on a range of topics, including:
- The democratisation of education
- Access to knowledge
- Access to education
- Pedagogical challenge
- Social purpose
- Policies and institutions for the future
Our research shows that there is a generally shared understanding at the level of academic leadership, and of those who are passionate advocates of digitalisation in Higher Education, of what needs to be done and how that needs to happen. There is a strong drive from economic and social actors for the benefits of open and digital education to be available to all who want and need it. However, more needs to be done.. For the evidenced benefits of digitalisation to be achieved, there needs to be an enabling and supportive policy and regulatory framework.
Meeting the demand for relevant, good quality, knowledge that is accessible to all, poses different challenges in each region, reflecting the varying contexts of each region and country.