Overview
The future of work has arrived and the digital age has disrupted the higher education sector globally and locally, with COVID-19 serving as an accelerator. While many institutions across the globe experience a return to campus’, the concept of channeling education content across digital platforms and digitally enabling the learning experience is here to stay. The extent of this adoption, its impact on the sector and learning outcomes is yet to fully unfold.
This survey was conducted among the vice-chancellors and/or deputy vice-chancellors of South Africa’s 26 public universities in July 2022. Key highlights from vice-chancellors and/or deputy vice-chancellors are that:
- Universities continue to experience financial constraints with fundraising topping the list for alternative income sources.
- Increased investment in digital solutions is a popular approach to cost efficiencies.
- 50% of VCs described their budget for innovation being higher than previous years.
- Budget constraints and institutional culture are cited as the most significant barriers to digital transformation.
- Universities are investing in technologies for learning and student support with more than half either having deployed technologies such as 3D printing, chat bots, augmented or virtual reality, robotics and artificial intelligence.
- 100% of respondents said they provide some form of support to measure the effectiveness of the methods they use to assess their students’ health and well-being.
- Only 8 respondents have a specific focus on suicide prevention.
In order to respond effectively to these challenges, we need a high functioning, high impact education sector, from early childhood development through to vocational and higher education.
Universities have an opportunity to create new teaching models, lead on lifelong learning and engage effectively with government and industry. But, at a time of transformational change in the higher education sector, university leaders must be supported to make bold and disruptive decisions. Universities must therefore drive transformation through technology and adapt to meet the changing demands of students and the future workforce.
