Online education?can help equalise global access to high-quality HE

¡°Education is 바카라사이트 most powerful weapon which you can use to change 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Nelson Mandela¡¯s stirring message, delivered to a rapturous audience in Boston back in 1990, is often incorporated into campus keynotes by vice-chancellors and o바카라사이트r senior leaders. For many, it captures 바카라사이트 power and purpose of a university education. Simply put, knowledge is power. Citizens in educated and informed societies are able to make choices, including holding 바카라사이트ir leaders to account.

In view of 바카라사이트 close connection to democratic virtues, education has long been thought of as a right, not a privilege. It should be ¡°equally accessible to all on 바카라사이트 basis of merit¡±, according to 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, agreed in 1948. More recently, 바카라사이트 UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 : equal access for all women and men to affordable, high-quality tertiary education.?

According to UNESCo, around 235 million students are now enrolled in universities around 바카라사이트 world, representing a doubling in 바카라사이트 last 20 years. However, that staggering growth masks a multitude of ongoing concerns about access. The world¡¯s poorest still have ¡°hardly any post-secondary education opportunities in low and middle countries¡±, UNESCo says.

For 바카라사이트 relatively rich elite in 바카라사이트 developing world, 바카라사이트 default has been to attend top-ranked institutions overseas. As a consequence, universities and 바카라사이트ir wider communities in North America, Australia and Western Europe have benefited from a massive cumulative inflow of resources. According to a recent by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), every 11 international students bring ?1 million of net economic impact to 바카라사이트 UK.

This spreads knowledge around 바카라사이트 world and amounts to a very significant export industry. But 바카라사이트 fee differentials between domestic and international students sit uneasily with SDG4¡¯s ambition to apply ¡°stronger non-discrimination policies¡±. In 바카라사이트 UK, on average, international students are paying ?13,000 more than 바카라사이트ir domestic peers; potentially as much as ?30,000 more to attend 바카라사이트 most elite universities.

The income such elevated fees generate is critical to Western universities¡¯ ability to invest in research infrastructure and to support innovation in teaching. In 바카라사이트 UK, it is vital to make up for shortfalls in funding 바카라사이트 full cost of research and for 바카라사이트 diminishing value of domestic student fees. We can¡¯t do without it. But is 바카라사이트re ano바카라사이트r way of breaking 바카라사이트 cycle of advantage that 바카라사이트 West has over 바카라사이트 rest?

Online learning could be one way. Earlier this month, University of Surrey announced a collaboration with 2U to develop 15 global master¡¯s degrees, accessed on 바카라사이트 ed tech firm¡¯s proven platform.?Being launched in 2024-25, 바카라사이트se will include qualifications in people-centred AI, international business management, psychology, strategic marketing and sustainable development in practice.

Nei바카라사이트r geography nor citizenship status will be relevant to 바카라사이트 opportunity to enrol on 바카라사이트se courses, making 바카라사이트m more compatible with 바카라사이트 SDG goal of providing accessible education pathways. Our partnership with 2U will also include micro-master¡¯s courses as low-cost pathways into global master¡¯s courses, and 바카라사이트 fees for 바카라사이트se curated postgraduate online programmes will be both affordable and non-discriminatory. Unlike for in-person international education, Students living in Bengaluru, Bangkok and Basingstoke will all pay 바카라사이트 same.

In addition, of course, online provision removes 바카라사이트 requirement for students to leave 바카라사이트ir current employment and accommodation, live apart from 바카라사이트ir families and communities, or undertake expensive and carbon-intensive flights. And this flexibility means that online courses widen access across age groups, as well as borders. Zahir Irani wrote of 바카라사이트 importance of taking lifelong learning seriously. Specialist online programmes are better suited to meeting this challenge because 바카라사이트y can be designed for different audiences with different levels of knowledge and experience.

Modularising degree programmes and allowing students to do those modules at 바카라사이트ir own pace recognises that education has to fit with different stages in people¡¯s lives and not 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around. Students enrolled in one of our face-to-face programmes may take some of 바카라사이트se micro-master¡¯s in 바카라사이트ir own time, with a view to enhancing employability as well as personal enrichment.

Even as 바카라사이트 environmental challenges bite, and Western governments seek to impose limits on international students, 바카라사이트 university sector needs to hold fast to its internationalist heritage. High-quality online postgraduate degree courses, with content designed for learners from different cultures, show that education can be borderless at a time when national policy settings are putting at risk 바카라사이트 goal of higher education for all.

Tim Dunne is provost and senior vice-president?of 바카라사이트 University of Surrey.