Do Disruptive Events Favor the Bold or the Old?

Abstract

Disruptive events can bring about significant change and, if we can put aside the terrible human consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and focus on higher education, we can without doubt state that the sector globally has navigated one of the most disruptive periods, quite possibly, ever. Unlike other historical major disruptions that have often revolved around the substance of what universities teach, the pandemic has challenged conventional models of how higher education operates. Universities have had to pivot rapidly to adopt new technologies supporting novel approaches to pedagogy. It is quite remarkable that many have done this successfully, achieving what would previously have been thought impossible or something that could only happen with a great deal of preparation and time for implementation. As we emerge from this experience the key questions now are (i) which of the changes we have experienced will be permanent? and, (ii) which universities will act first to realize the benefits of these changes? Will it be the old universities—those with prestige, and with a greater weight of tradition—or the bold—the agile institutions, less hidebound by their past, and more prepared to change? Other changes—in particular the demographic transition and the fourth industrial revolution—emphasize the need for higher education to prepare for and embrace change. This paper shows that the next few years will offer significant opportunities for higher education institutions in the Arab world to challenge the existing global hierarchy of universities through offering new and innovative approaches to learning that challenge the old ways. The universities that realize this and embrace change could reap huge benefits. Those that don’t will face risks and an uncertain future.

Lessons from the pandemic that can give universities in the Arab World a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing region.