Rethinking higher education: Case studies for the 21st Century

Authors: Katherine Emms, Andrea Laczik & Dana Dabbous

Summary

This report provides a brief overview of the current higher education landscape and touches on some of the overarching issues of the sector - some that existed before the pandemic, and some of which have been exacerbated since then. It goes on to describe five higher education case studies - four from across the UK and one international example - which outline practice that looks vastly different from centuries past. They are forward-looking and prepare students for life in a very different and evolving 21st Century.

Key findings

• The undergraduate participation of 18-year olds is continuing to rise, at the same time universities are increasingly making unconditional offers to their applicants, in an ever more competitive sector.
• Young people are still not getting adequate access to up to date and impartial information, advice, and guidance for post-18 options, including apprenticeship and training opportunities.
• Students’ perceptions of whether they are getting value for money from the HE experience is not recovering anywhere close to pre-2012 levels.
• Students expect a supportive university environment, support in getting into high-paying jobs, and increasingly, strong institutional values and ethics.
• Incidences of mental illnesses amongst students is rising and problems have been worsened further by the pandemic.
• Jobs, and the way we do jobs, is rapidly changing. Students must be prepared with the skills and attitudes to thrive in a complex labour market to tackle interdisciplinary issues - interpersonal and communication skills and creativity are highly sought after by employers.
• The five case studies in the report are:

1. Cardiff University’s National Software Academy
2. Dyson Institute of Engineering
3. Minerva Schools at KGI
4. Eden Project Learning
5. The University of Salford

These are reimagining the traditional university campus and prioritising the holistic learning and development of its students in a different way; emphasising the development of student employability, making a clear link between theory and practice, and engaging meaningfully with external stakeholders.