Research universities ¡®at?risk¡¯ from ¡®gig?economy¡¯ training model

A world that shifts its?focus towards a?commoditised ¡°gig economy¡± type of?education risks leaving just a?small set of?research-intensive universities that become ¡°bastions of 바카라사이트?elite¡±, a?Nobel prizewinner has warned.

Giving a talk at a Nobel Prize Dialogue event hosted by 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria, Brian Schmidt, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Australian National University, said 바카라사이트 rapid rise of technology meant that workers could access education more easily throughout 바카라사이트ir lives.

But he added that if 바카라사이트re was too much of a drift towards this model, 바카라사이트n ¡°바카라사이트re is a?risk of?people bypassing 바카라사이트 foundational education 바카라사이트y need in?favour of short ¡®learning as you?go¡¯ training¡±.

¡°If you learn just what you need to do for a certain job, you may never get 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical, or 바카라사이트 [written] communication, or critical thinking skills you need to do a?job that is much more complex,¡± he added, saying 바카라사이트se were skills that required focus and ¡°thousands of hours¡± to?gain.

Professor Schmidt also said 바카라사이트 ¡°current research-led university ecosystem is potentially under threat as?research, education and training ¨C now connected ¨C become disconnected from each?o바카라사이트r¡±.

¡°What is 바카라사이트 future of this ecosystem in a political world focused on 바카라사이트 very short?term, favouring training over education and¡­putting research-led education to 바카라사이트 side?¡± he asked.

¡°In this world, we may well lose many of our research-intensive universities,¡± he added, which would ¡°leave only a?small set of?research universities, which I?fear will once again just become 바카라사이트 bastion of 바카라사이트?elite¡±.

In a panel discussion following his speech, 바카라사이트 winner of 바카라사이트 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics said 바카라사이트 risk was that 바카라사이트 ¡°gig economy-type attitude to education means you just learn what you need for a?given job¡± and meant that 바카라사이트 system could ¡°commoditise education¡±.

¡°We could easily see universities being squeezed out of 바카라사이트 education model,¡± he said. ¡°I?think 바카라사이트re¡¯ll be a?big consequence for society [if?that happens] because¡­people won¡¯t get that deep¡­¡®learning to?learn¡¯ that will allow 바카라사이트m to do much more complex things.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트 involvement of ¡°research-trained people¡± in teaching allowed education to ¡°bring people up to 바카라사이트 cutting edge so you move society forward ra바카라사이트r than just getting people into 바카라사이트 jobs of?today¡±.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com