Black, White, and Grey

This study examines the contemporary labor market's demand for continuous upskilling in response to the digital era. It delves into the profound impact of digital technology on higher education, emphasizing the necessity for innovation in learning methods, teaching, and access to resources. The research highlights the crucial role of organizational agility in enabling higher education institutions to swiftly adapt to evolving environments. The quantitative study, conducted through an online questionnaire in October 2023, included 95 respondents from Bucharest University of Economic Studies, representing all three main education levels: doctoral studies, master’s degree, and undergraduate studies. The research investigates students' readiness for the agile workforce, placing emphasis on the role of higher education in cultivating an agile mindset. It serves as a guide for individuals entering the labor market, providing insights into the mindset required to excel in their professional journey

Laboratory courses play a pivotal role in higher education, and with emerging technologies transforming instructional practices, virtual laboratories have become an effective supplement to traditional, face-to-face settings. This paper presents a Unity3D-based virtual production line laboratory platform developed under the ADDIE instructional design model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). The physical assembly line was replicated in a virtual environment and deployed via WebGL on a custom website, enabling students to engage in experimental learning at any time.Additionally,On the student client, we have visualised PLC programs and designed an image recognition module that enables students to visually verify the correctness of their PLC programs. Implementation with second-year undergraduates demonstrated positive impacts on academic performance.

Introduction - crossing the border, or creating a shared territory?, P.W.G.Wright. Part 1 How the relationship between higher education and industry has taken shape: educating for industry - the historical role of higher education in England, R.Lowe thinking about science and practice in British education - the Victorian roots of a modern dichotomy, R.F.Bud and G.K.Roberts. Part 2 Public and private funding: industry contributions to higher education funding and their effects, G.Williams and C.Loder the US model for higher education - structure and finance, K.Tribe. Part 3 Graduates of higher education - what do employers expect in the 90s?, P.Meyer-Dohm personal transferable skills for employment - the role of higher education, A.Bailey. Part 4 Changes in culture and organization: the shifting culture of higher education, J.Fielden a responsive higher education system, A.Jones Apocalypse now? where will higher education go in the 21st century, P.Slee.

This chapter presents an argument which rests on three interrelated premises regarding the transition to e-learning in higher education. The first is that the phenomenon of e-learning (Web-based teaching and learning) is dramatically affecting faculty roles in higher education, whether faculty are engaged in teaching with technology or not. The second is that the role of faculty member is saturated with requirements, and adding a teaching process that requires advanced teaching expertise in relation to technology and additional time commitments will not fit into the current role of faculty; this is so for e-learning. Finally, we suggest that leadership strategy which will resolve this issue, and afford students the benefits of e-learning, will take an embedded, distributed and dispersed approach. In presenting this argument, we will describe current work-life realities for faculty members in higher education institutions, present interview data from faculty at two institutions of higher education and outline why leadership strategies intended to support the role change required for faculty when teaching with technology may not work.

The growth in online and distance education has focused increased attention on unbundling faculty roles in delivering instruction, yet unbundling related to faculty work has been occurring in higher education for over three centuries. In this paper, we examine unbundling of the faculty role in higher education to provide scholars, university leaders, faculty, disciplinary leaders, and policy makers with historical context, theoretical frameworks, and gaps in the empirical literature to inform research and decision-making pertaining to the differentiation of university and faculty tasks. We describe unbundling historically in order to highlight how the faculty role has shifted over time, demonstrating this is not a new phenomenon. We also review theoretical frameworks and their mechanisms to inform our understanding of the history and future of unbundling and suggest the importance of multiple theories to best understand this complex phenomenon. We then examine the limited empirical research findings on unbundling the faculty role, which have not been synthesized to date. We conclude by offering directions for future research regarding unbundling based on the history, theory, and empirical research reviewed, as well as recommendations for policy.

A highly readable overview of the rich past of historically black colleges and universities, and how their role in higher education is evolving for the future. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have influenced African American lives and communities since 1837.Historically Black Colleges and Universitiesprovides a past and present look at their role in higher education. This volume addresses why these institutions exist, how effective they've been, and if today's 103 HBCUs are still necessary. Special attention is given to the years since 1954 and to desegregation cases such asBrown v. Board of Education,United States v. Fordice, and other judicial decisions. The volume highlights government relations, leadership, and philanthropy as they apply to HBCUs. Also, a chapter provides a case study of the Historically Minority Universities Bioscience and Biotechnology Program Initiative, and a final chapter suggests research agendas for the 21st century.

The universe of small institutions includes “special mission” institutions. Although these institutions share several similarities, each plays a special and distinct role in higher education, providing a unique culture and experience for their students. They include women's colleges, Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic‐serving institutions (HSIs), Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), faith‐based institutions, and military colleges, among others. Through the lens of women's colleges, the author will highlight these institutions and their important role in higher education.

This article draws on findings from a qualitative study of academics’ role in higher education’s contribution to the public good based on 15 interviews with academics from two universities in South Africa. I argue that if higher education in South Africa is to transform for the public good, the transformation of the university academic staff needs to be taken seriously and move beyond diversity of race and gender. The findings of the study that underpins this article suggest that the attributes of academics must be considered in initiatives that seek to transform the academy. This has implications for meaningful transformation because diversity, in terms of race and gender, does not necessarily translate to transformation in practice. Based on these findings, I suggest what these attributes may be through the concept of “public good academics,” which the academics I interviewed associated with being progressive, reflexive, critically conscious, and socially competent. I conclude that public good academics are aptly positioned to engage in transformational practices. Therefore, the personal attributes of academics do matter and should not be ignored in our thinking and conversations about transformational practices in higher education, especially in South Africa—a country with a history of colonialism and apartheid that has shaped the higher education landscape.

DESCRIPTION The communication demands expected of today’s engineers and information technology professionals immersed in multicultural global enterprises are unsurpassed. New Media Communication Skills for Engineers and IT Professionals: Trans-National and Trans-Cultural Demands provides new and experienced practitioners, academics, employers, researchers, and students with international examples of best practices in new, as well as traditional, communication skills in increasingly trans-cultural, digitalized, hypertext environments. This book will be a valuable addition to the existing literature and resources in communication skills in both organizational and higher educational settings, giving readers comprehensive insights into the proficient use of a broad range of communication critical for effective professional participation in the globalized and digitized communication environments that characterize current engineering and IT workplaces. The communication demands expected of today’s engineers and information technology (IT) professionals immersed in multicultural global enterprises are unsurpassed. Effective workplace and professional participation does not merely ask but demands proficiency in varied multi-media rich communication skills. Global industries, markets, and professional organisations require graduates who, in order to be work ready, need to be equipped with excellent written and oral communications skills, to be multi-literate in various digital, verbal and written modes of communication, as a baseline rather than optional extra capability. Trans-cultural multi-modal communication skills, now imbued with immense significance, are allied as a powerful and crucial determinant capability highly sought in trans-national and trans-cultural workplaces and professional communities. In the highly multicultural universities and colleges, the development of these skills among both faculty and students also has a direct impact on student learning outcomes as well as on the overall quality and content of educational programs. The acquisition of expertise in transcultural, multi-modal communication skills will greatly enhance the ability of students to apply and transfer their learning into their professional practices in increasingly globalised and demanding workplace settings. However, research indicates a paucity of literature on the types of communication skills increasingly demanded and practiced in 21st century engineering and technology workplaces. Moreover, most of the literature on communication skills that is available is generic in nature, and by aiming at the higher education sector in general, ignores the specific requirements and contexts of the engineering and IT communities of practice. These points to the urgent need to close the performance gap in basic, let alone more sophisticated and technologically enabled communication skills for the engineering and IT professions. Therefore, current evidence points to a distinct need for a comprehensive resource for the learning of traditional as well as new 21st Century, new paradigm digital and trans-cultural communication skills in both workplace and educational settings in engineering and Information Technology. PREFACE The overall objective of this book is to provide a comprehensive resource for new and experienced professionals, as well as students and faculties/academics. All are stakeholders who have to come to grips with new communicative practices in increasingly trans-national, trans-cultural, and digitally-rich contexts. In doing so, the book aims to provide new and experienced practitioners, academics, employers, researchers, and students with international examples of best practices in new as well as traditional communication skills in increasingly trans-cultural, digitalised, hypertext environments. The book consists of 11 scholarly chapter contributions on diverse issues and trends in new media communication skills for engineers and IT professionals. This book will be a valuable addition to the existing literature and resources in communication skills in both organizational and higher educational settings. The book intends to incorporate the views of a wide range of stakeholders: practitioners, professionals, academics, and students. The intention is to give readers comprehensive insights into the proficient use of a broad range of communication skills and tools critical for effective professional participation in the globalised and digitised communication environments that characterise current engineering and IT workplaces.

Unbundling is the process through which products previously sold together are separated into their constituent parts. In higher education, this dynamic has been driven primarily by financial motivations, and spearheaded by the for-profit sector, but also has pedagogical motivations through its emphasis on personalization and employability. This article presents a theoretical analysis of the trend, proposing new conceptual tools with which to map the normative implications. While appearing to offer the prospect of financial viability and increased relevance, unbundling presents some worrying signs for universities: frst, the removal of possible synergies between teaching and research, and between different modes of learning; second, the undermining of the ability of institutions to promote the public good and ensure equality of opportunity; and third, the threat of hyperporosity to the conducting of basic research with long-term benefits.
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\nA desagregação é o processo pelo qual os produtos anteriormente vendidos em conjunto são separados em suas partes constituintes. No ensino superior, esta dinâmica tem sido impulsionada principalmente por motivações financeiras e liderada pelo setor com fins lucrativos, mas também tem motivações pedagógicas através da ênfase na personalização e na empregabilidade. Este artigo apresenta uma análise teórica da tendência, propondo novas ferramentas conceituais para mapear as implicações normativas. Embora pareça oferecer perspectivas de viabilidade financeira e maior relevância, a desagregação apresenta alguns sinais preocupantes para as universidades: primeiro, a remoção de possíveis sinergias entre ensino e pesquisa, e entre diferentes modos de aprendizagem; em segundo lugar, o enfraquecimento da capacidade das instituições de promover o bem público e garantir a igualdade de oportunidades; e, em terceiro lugar, a ameaça de hiperporosidade na realização de pesquisas básicas com benefícios no longo prazo.

This paper studies transformations in the role of higher education in Russia as represented in official Soviet and post-Soviet policy documents between the 1950s and 2013. The focus is on the categories defining the purposes and tasks of higher education in the larger context of society and economy. There is a basic dichotomy in relation to the purposes and role of higher education, between vocational training (which is seen as a determining factor in the economic development) and personal development/education (seen as a condition of social development). The balance of these two poles, economic instrumentalism and social instrumentalism, changes throughout the history. The Soviet documents emphasized the importance of both, with the predominance of the social instrumentalism. The transitional period of the late 1980s and early 1990s is characterized by increasing humanistic discourse in regard to higher education. Later post-Soviet documents, reflecting neoliberal policies, largely abandon social instrumentalism and more exclusively promote the economic role of higher education. Economic instrumentalism is the meeting point of two historical eras, with their respective ideologies and political agendas. Connecting Soviet and neoliberal discourses highlights the importance of historical legacies in regard to the economic, applied nature of higher education, and underlines the crucial role of the state, which facilitated acceptance of neoliberal agendas in Russian society. The analysis also contributes to further understanding of the nature of the neoliberal reforms globally and in post-socialist countries.

This research investigates virtual reality (VR) in higher education, covering types of VR, implementation in academic settings, effects on student engagement and learning outcomes, and exploring potential benefits for enhancing learning and developing graduate capabilities. A comprehensive review covered VR types like simulations, virtual labs, 360-degree experiences, and virtual classrooms, enabling experiential learning. The implementation process involves goal setting, content creation, hardware/software selection, infrastructure setup, curriculum integration, assessment, and evolution. Effective VR content and prepared instructors positively impact engagement, influencing comprehension, retention, and academic performance. AR/VR tech refines cognitive skills, practical knowledge, and personalised learning, fostering teamwork and critical thinking for graduates' career readiness.

Purpose This paper aims to reveal the potential challenges and opportunities for information technology (IT) governance in higher education institutions (HEIs). Furthermore, the authors extend what the identified determinants mean for Saudi universities. Design/methodology/approach This study pursued a systematic literature review applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses strategy protocol. Findings IT governance is both beneficial and challenging to integrate into the higher education setting. This is because most IT Governance frameworks are created and implemented in a traditional organizational setting, which differs from the overall culture of HEIs. As for the context of Saudi Arabia, findings depict a hopeful picture for the future of IT Governance, as HEI stakeholders are primarily aware of IT Governance policies, but Saudi HEIs are yet to work toward this goal systematically. Research limitations/implications Apart from extending the current literature on IT governance, this paper adds the educational perspective and the Saudi context, which is found to be limited in the existing literature. The findings could be used to benchmark the IT Governance scenario in other countries, wherein this study could support the roadmap of effective IT governance adoption in HEIs in various nations. Originality/value This study could support improving the institutional operational performance of HEIs in Saudi Arabia, particularly in terms of electronic monitoring systems, effective monitoring of processing systems, prevention of fraud and reducing the manipulation and wasting of funds. The insights from this study could be beneficial to government policymakers, higher education managers, researchers and academics.

This paper analyzes the new look, new contradictions and new problems arising in contemporary college students' psychological development. Then, the paper puts forward the new idea of change the innovation of higher education in a new situation, including setting up the new college students' mental development, building up the new concept of college students' learning quality, establishing new cultivation concept of higher education, building new teachers' roles in higher education, setting up the new concept of university spirit in higher education and establishing a new view of management in higher education.

Today, Ukraine needs to establish a new role for higher education, which it plays in Europe, where universities are the source of the dissemination of new knowledge and the definition of future intellectual guidelines for society. Higher education raises the importance of universal values. In the favorable conditions of academic freedom, which universities received under the new Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education", Considering the global problems of the development of civilization and conservation of the biosphere, there is the possibility of implementing a project of advanced education. To this end, the introduction of a block of general training disciplines is proposed in the system of higher professional and pedagogical education, namely: "Philosophy", "Basics of economic theory", "General systems theory", "Globalistics", "Noospherology", "Social and ecological safety of vital activity", "Fundamentals of Informatics", "Science, technology and technology", the content of which and innovative educational technologies of its implementation can ensure the formation of the general competence of a specialist of the future.