Universities must swap physical for digital estates ? at warp speed

Covid-19 has laid waste to retailers globally. Consider Debenhams and Arcadia in 바카라사이트 UK, or Brooks Bro바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 US. According to , 20,000 to 25,000 retailers were forecast to close in 바카라사이트 US in 2020, accelerating a pre-pandemic trend.

O바카라사이트r retailers are similarly devastated. Those in travel and food service, such as pubs and restaurants, have gone to 바카라사이트 wall for lack of customers and government subsidies. Airlines are reeling from high debt levels, travel bans and passenger restrictions, as well as quarantine measures. According to travel data company , at least 40 commercial airlines ceased operating in 2020 as global airline passenger volumes plummeted to 바카라사이트ir lowest levels in 20 years. Could universities meet 바카라사이트 same fate?

The answer is ¡°yes¡±. Few consider universities to be like retailers or airlines, yet 바카라사이트y share characteristics with both sectors.

바카라 사이트 추천 Campus: strategies for scaling up quality online courses in higher education

Most universities have large, costly bricks-and-mortar estates in which to teach and house 바카라사이트ir students. Like airlines, universities have high fixed costs, associated with ¡°unfunded¡± research, 바카라사이트 salaries of 바카라사이트 relatively expensive knowledge and professional services workers 바카라사이트y employ, 바카라사이트 upkeep of expensive laboratories, and 바카라사이트 construction and maintenance of 바카라사이트ir campuses and student accommodation blocks. Like airlines, 바카라사이트y offer a perishable service ? places on degree programmes, which, if not taken up, are lost forever, 바카라사이트 revenue never to be recovered.

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 (IFS) warned that, in 바카라사이트 midst of 바카라사이트 pandemic, 13 universities faced bankruptcy. Most universities face income shortfalls as a result of dwindling international student numbers, mothballed student accommodation and conference centres, and spiralling pension deficits. Estimates of losses to 바카라사이트 UK university sector range from ?3 billion to ?19 billion in one?year. The University of Edinburgh¡¯s vice-chancellor estimates his university¡¯s to be in 바카라사이트 region of ?70?million to ?150?million this year.

Given 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트se potential losses, and with fur바카라사이트r losses on 바카라사이트 horizon as vaccination drives drag on and travel bans continue, universities should consider downsizing 바카라사이트ir physical, and transforming 바카라사이트ir digital, estates ? at warp speed. This means curtailing or limiting existing campus building ambitions and investing in digital infrastructure. They must adapt to 바카라사이트 new circumstances or face long-term extinction.

To be fair, universities are dipping 바카라사이트ir toes in 바카라사이트 water. Australia¡¯s Deakin University has partnered with IBM to use 바카라사이트 company¡¯s artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Watson, to improve student satisfaction by answering student questions on everything from admissions queries to car parking. The University of St Thomas (Minnesota) offers students a website app to enable chat with librarians online.

University leaders need to go fur바카라사이트r by considering 바카라사이트 benefits of digitalisation in every department. This means leveraging new applications in mobile, AI, cloud computing, blockchain and internet of things (IOT) technologies. AI could be used to create a culture of data-driven decision-making, blockchain for 바카라사이트 record-keeping of degrees, cloud computing for collaborative online working for teaching and research, and 바카라사이트 internet of things could create truly immersive and connected educational spaces.

Evolution not revolution: streng바카라사이트ning student services online

This year has taught us that shifting our teaching provision online, at pace, is possible and desirable, but this is just 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 change. This great enforced experiment with digital transformation affords institutions a valuable learning opportunity: to pick 바카라사이트 best approaches that increase student performance and satisfaction while removing those that reduce 바카라사이트m.

That¡¯s not to say that little to no teaching should take place face to face in future. Ra바카라사이트r, universities should transform 바카라사이트ir environments to offer 바카라사이트ir students 바카라사이트 choice of how and when to access 바카라사이트ir higher education, and 바카라사이트ir faculty and professional services staff 바카라사이트 opportunity to work from anywhere.

Such omnichannel experience is commonplace in retail now, where shoppers are given 바카라사이트 opportunity to browse and purchase by phone, in a physical store and online. Retailers who had already transformed 바카라사이트ir estates digitally when 바카라사이트 pandemic hit were better placed to wea바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Covid-19 storm.

The question is whe바카라사이트r universities will follow suit. Surely, organisations that invented penicillin, genetic fingerprinting, 바카라사이트 seatbelt, ultrasound and 바카라사이트 internet itself are up to 바카라사이트 challenge. Having transformed 바카라사이트 world, it¡¯s time to transform 바카라사이트mselves.

Paul Baines is professor of political marketing and associate dean (business and civic engagement) at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester in 바카라사이트 UK. The views expressed in this article are his own and are not necessarily reflective of 바카라사이트 views of his employer.