Islamic girl studying with multiethnic students

Understanding the human-centered transformation design for universities: GCC edition

Dr. Vanina Torlo

EY-Parthenon MENA Education Leader

10 minute read 12 Feb 2024
Related topics
Digital
Digital strategy
Government and Public Sector

Rising cyber threats call for proactive government regulation and enhanced cybersecurity measures in the global energy sector.

In brief

  • Rising cyber attacks against critical infrastructure and the energy sector are being driven by emerging technologies like AI.
  • A balanced regulatory approach from governments is needed. This should couple oversight with flexibility for companies to manage risks while promoting a risk-based approach.
  • Governments should have initiatives to increase cyber resilience of their critical national infrastructure. 

Hybrid warfare, linking governments and cybersecurity, is a new reality with attacks on critical national infrastructure and the energy industry growing dramatically. Countries are using cyber methods for strategic advantage and emerging technologies like AI, GenAI and quantum computing have added complexity to security risks. Cybersecurity ranks high among risks for many board members, but it's often given lesser priority in energy sector boards, pointing to a maturity gap. Some nations are attempting to enhance cybersecurity through reactive measures, but the low priority historically given to this area in the energy industry has led to uncertainty about how effectively risk can be managed.

Balanced regulation is needed to avoid hindering the energy companies' ability to deliver safe and profitable services. Governments need to provide the right mix of oversight and support, enabling companies to take a risk-based approach with flexibility. Embedding cybersecurity standards into the business environment and risk landscape can help achieve this balance.

Organizations that embrace a risk-based approach to cybersecurity, backed by informed regulations and standards, are more likely to be cyber resilient. There is a strong role for government intervention to help private energy owners and operators protect critical infrastructure. This includes providing regulatory frameworks and using commercial incentives to improve the cybersecurity posture of the energy industry. A collaborative and proactive approach can create a sense of control and uniform protections across critical infrastructure. Effective governance, which balances cyber risks management and compliance requirements, can serve as catalyst for protection and accountability of critical infrastructure.

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1

Chapter 1

Risks and government response are evolving

Cyber conflicts as a growing threat to the energy sector.

Universities are underestimating student expectations

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed what students want from universities. Their educational norms and situations have shifted. In our survey, 45% of students are managing work or caring commitments alongside their studies. Partly for this reason, campus-based students expect to access content and administrative processes online, in their own time.

UAE/KSA students are happier with their choice of university (72% are happy/very happy, compared to the global average of 67%), but still, over a quarter (27%) told us they only feel neutral or are unhappy with their choice of university. This should raise alarm bells for university leaders who are tasked with delivering a positive experience for all their students. Not meeting expectations around improving career prospects or preparing students for the workplace are key drivers of overall unhappiness.

electrical engineer while working laptop
1

Chapter 1

Risks and government response are evolving

Cyber conflicts as a growing threat to the energy sector.

How EY can Help

  • Education services

    Dedicated teams of EY professionals can help you deliver quality education and improved operations and student experiences around the world. Find out more.

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Universities misjudge the importance of the employee experience

While the student experience is fundamental to a successful digital transformation, university leaders must also pay attention to the staff (teaching faculty, researchers and administration) experience. The human experience includes all of the people involved in making a university work. To be successful, digital transformation needs to meet their needs and expectations, too.

 

Teaching faculty

Empower me to create quality digital content
 

Teaching faculty must be supported in carving out time to design and oversee the development of new curricula and learning materials that incorporate the best of digital and in-person learning modes. From our focus groups, we learned that many university teachers urgently need further training in blended teaching best practice. They need to understand how to both develop curricula and content for effective digital or blended learning and deliver teaching and learning support using the chosen modes.

 

Free me to focus on the important tasks
 

For teaching faculty, time is their most precious resource. Digital transformation should enable them to devote more time to their core missions of teaching and supporting students or leading research. Providing more asynchronous content will free them from needing to deliver in-person lectures, while using virtual meetings and online scheduling tools can help them provide one-on-one student support more efficiently.

 

However, simply implementing new tools and processes will not automatically lead to meaningful time savings. Faculty in our focus groups said they were faced with a myriad of new systems and tools, which were unintuitive, difficult to use or duplicative.

 

Enlighten me so I can better support learning outcomes
 

The higher education sector is currently grappling with improving learning outcomes. With the move to new modes of teaching and learning, faculty need to easily assess the effectiveness of their teaching and continuously adjust based on what is working well and what isn’t. As more systems move to digital, there’s increased potential to analyze the data and create meaningful insights around student interactions, their levels of engagement and their learning progress. By collating that information into progress dashboards, faculty can track learning progress at an individual, class or program level, as well as identify students who require more support or programs that need adjusting.

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    Summary

    Digital transformation in higher education is most effective when the individuals it serves are prioritized at the core of all transformation initiatives. This includes students, teaching faculty and administrative staff. By truly understanding their needs and expectations, university leaders can develop robust strategies, make informed technology investments, and enhance the student experience to ensure success in the digital age.

    About this article

    Dr. Vanina Torlo
    EY-Parthenon MENA Education Leader
    10+ years of experience in management consulting and a recognized associate professor in leading business schools. Has lived and worked in seven countries. Passionate about ballet, tennis and chess.
    Related topics
    Digital
    Digital strategy
    Government and Public Sector

    EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.