Crisis often requires the society to transform itself, sometimes in a disruptive manner. The COVID-19 pandemic is one such crisis that is upending economies and dramatically transforming key sectors, with higher education being one of these. Though higher education institutions (HEIs), albeit under pressure, are undergoing radical transformations driven by the need to digitalize learning in record time, challenges exist.
Key challenges
Over five million students are enrolled in HEIs outside their home countries (UNESCO, 2020), generating a global economic impact of nearly $300 billion annually. China and India, emerging as the top source countries, constitute almost half of the international students at US universities (UNESCO, 2019). The pandemic has either wiped out this segment or led to deferred admits in the best-case scenario.
The good news is these numbers have started to improve, and global student mobility patterns have started to return to pre-COVID-19 levels. According to a Ministry of External Affairs report, India witnessed the highest number of students traveling abroad in 2021. The numbers increased from 589,000 in 2019 to over 750,000 in 2021. Though the numbers have improved considerably, HEIs will still need to think of ways to build on this momentum.
The next challenge is cash flow, especially for universities with a high dependence on international students’ tuition. These institutions not only lose dining outlet sales, parking fees and other revenues, they also face unanticipated expenses, including partial or full refunds on fees and the need to scale virtual teaching infrastructure. Students who are either unsatisfied with the current online learning experience or unable to afford fees in the current economic climate will drop out, further compounding the cash flow challenge.
The third challenge is the plight of educators who were made to experiment with and master virtual teaching at record speed. While most HEIs have adapted by partnering with education technology (edtech) providers, is this the beginning of an academic revolution? Well, we’re yet to see that.
Road to post-pandemic transformation
While some experts think HEIs will broadly return to pre-pandemic times in a year or two, others predict the mass extinction of in-person universities. Both are extreme ends of the spectrum. However, somewhere in the middle of these extremes lies the sweet spot for HEIs to keep internationalism alive.
Offer blended learning: Online teaching provides universities with troves of data to decide how a digital medium can augment or substitute a particular aspect of their course. They can also determine the varying degrees of online and in-person experiences required for each course. The hybrid model will offer the benefits of an on-campus learning experience while lowering the cost of education.
Ensure optimal student engagement and experience: One of the biggest factors that can make or break a student’s experience is their sense of belonging. This aspect has suffered the most during the pandemic. Without a strong sense of belongingness, students often struggle to stay engaged academically. To deliver a pleasant student experience, some universities in the UK, Australia and New Zealand have reportedly organized chartered planes to bring students. Kent State University has set up a one-stop-shop website, with a call line and contact addresses for all COVID-related questions, including telehealth services.
Commenting on the importance of collaborating with partners and making learning more accessible for students, Rachit Agrawal, co-founder of AdmitKard, said: “To ensure a pleasant student experience and build a strong future, four components need to work together: the university admission office, test conducting bodies, government officials (immigration office), and edtech players. Countries that have found a way to work together are seeing an increase in the number of international students.”
Engage with policymakers and regulators: Universities will need to develop innovative ways to increase attractiveness of their courses. The US, for example, was the preferred destination for 32% of eligible students seeking higher education. That number has now come down to 9%, fueled partly by restrictions of opportunities (mainly visa sponsorships) to international graduates entering the country.
Build digital marketing capabilities: Education fairs, once gala events hawking freebies and discount offers, are now hosted online. For instance, APAC universities spend almost 58% of their marketing budgets on online events. Georgia Tech University runs a popular YouTube channel with guide videos, student profiles, and ‘a day in the life’ type of engaging content.
Collaborate with edtech companies: Universities must pay attention to strategic collaborations with edtech providers. Most content produced by edtech companies would require investments beyond most individual universities’ content creation budgets. Several European universities are pooling resources and partnering with edtech companies to develop programs, learning materials and other student activities.
Conclusion
The next few years will probably see significant changes in the higher education landscape, but the pandemic has revealed the sector’s potential to adapt rapidly. We may eventually see a ‘return to classroom’ environment, but the blended learning model will prevail for the foreseeable future. To thrive in the post-pandemic world, HEIs will need to build resilient strategies, be open to collaboration, and embrace digital transformation to carve out a transformed identity.
(This article first appeared in Financial Express on 14 March 2021).
