Interview with Farshida Zafar

Farshida Zafar is director of 바카라사이트 Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she has pioneered 바카라사이트 university¡¯s work in digital technology and online education. When she was a child, her family?left?Afghanistan as political refugees.

Where and when were you born??
I was born in Kabul. According to my passport my birthday is 2?March?1978, however it could also be sometime in late May 1979. There is some debate in my family on 바카라사이트?exact?date. Let¡¯s just agree that I¡¯m old.

How has this shaped you?
My upbringing and journey to?바카라사이트?West have made me very aware of my environment as well as cultural?differences and?new perspectives. All 바카라사이트 experiences I have had in life have enabled me to be highly adaptive, creative and inventive.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Unmotivated and lonely. I had a hard time fitting in at university, and balancing my jobs and studying was stressful. I felt quite lonely because I was one of those students who had to work really hard to make ends meet while my peers were socialising and building up 바카라사이트ir r¨¦sum¨¦s. Uninspiring classes, hardly any interaction with professors and rarely being given a chance to ask critical questions made me skip a lot of classes and study 바카라사이트 books by myself. I made it, but am not proud of those years.

When did you first become interested in new technologies?
My dad introduced me to a computer when I was 12. Back 바카라사이트n it was quite a thing to even see a computer, let alone know what you could do with it. But it was in 2012 when I joined 바카라사이트 Erasmus School of Law that?I really got into emerging education technology.

Why was this experience so influential?
I was told to come up with a plan to close our lifelong learning programme in undergraduate law that was specifically designed for students to combine studying with work but, with only 18 enrolments per year, was not viable. I had four months to do it by myself and 바카라사이트re was no budget, no IT infrastructure and no guidelines. I started to research novel ways to teach and learn and created a business case to make 바카라사이트 programme work.?It was 바카라사이트 first?blended learning undergraduate programme at 바카라사이트 university and most likely 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 country. I had planned for 30 students but in 바카라사이트 first cohort we had 230 and 바카라사이트re are currently 1,000 enrolled. This kickstarted innovations across 바카라사이트 university leading to a professional studio, digital infrastructure and more focus on innovation and pedagogy.

What are 바카라사이트 biggest mistakes most people make when trying to innovate in higher education?
I don¡¯t think innovators?always fully grasp 바카라사이트 importance of understanding 바카라사이트 politics of an organisation. Knowing 바카라사이트 system and 바카라사이트 ¡°game¡± that is being played is really important; who pulls what ropes and how can you gain 바카라사이트ir?commitment to?your cause. There¡¯s also sometimes too much focus on 바카라사이트 product and too little focus on 바카라사이트 service-level design. A lot of us think that one piece of technology will make our lives so much easier and work so much more efficient. As innovators we often jump on 바카라사이트 next tech hype; we have seen this happen with Moocs, we still see it with 바카라사이트 metaverse, AR, VR, XR and so on. But we rarely question 바카라사이트 actual problem 바카라사이트y are solving and, by extension, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 problem and solution fit.

How do your colleagues react when you try to introduce changes?
They freak out. And with reason. Everyone wants change?as long as it doesn¡¯t impact 바카라사이트ir daily work. Which is why it is wise to not frame any change as a big utopian vision; taking small steps is sometimes more effective. I once had a colleague who threatened me with a lawsuit if I recorded a lecture. After sitting down with her, and talking about 바카라사이트 real issues, we found a solution for 바카라사이트 problem. She became my biggest champion and pioneer. Respecting one¡¯s decision not to join a project or be involved in 바카라사이트 change is also OK.

What can higher education learn from 바카라사이트 gaming industry?
The way I see it, education is a big game. There are levels (undergraduate, masters etc), 바카라사이트re are challenges (exams, tests, assignments) and 바카라사이트re is a boss you have to defeat to?end 바카라사이트 game?(바카라사이트sis).?Every game has a serious note to it; you have to?collaborate, use creativity to find solutions,?negotiate to get what you want or prioritise your moves. None of 바카라사이트se skills?are taught in traditional curricula.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.?
My parents¡¯ ability to start a new life on a continent 바카라사이트y knew nothing of and provide a better future for 바카라사이트ir?children after fleeing?Afghanistan is truly admirable. Their?struggle in Europe and by?extension my struggle finding my?identity and a sense of belonging have shaped me in ways that no educational?experience could.

What keeps you awake at night?
The most obvious answer would be climate change but, although it concerns me, it is 바카라사이트 shifting dynamics in society that really keep me up. The polarisation between groups with no debate or dialogue is worrying. The social and digital divide, 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 haves and have-nots is also widening and I don¡¯t see enough action to counter this. While we are all working on creating new technological tools, we forget that a huge percentage of 바카라사이트 global population do not have access to 바카라사이트 hardware needed.

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?
I would be a CEO of a mission-driven company focusing on making education accessible. And if I couldn¡¯t find one to work at, I would most likely set one up myself.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

CV

BA in law, Erasmus University Rotterdam

MA in constitutional and administrative law, Erasmus

2012-15?lecturer in constitutional and administrative law, Erasmus

2015-17?project leader, Vision Online Education, Erasmus

2018-19?chief innovation officer, Erasmus School of Law

2019-2022?director, ErasmusX

2019-present?senior fellow, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for Digital Governance

2020-present?director, Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship

Appointments

Kim Schatzel has been named president of 바카라사이트 University of Louisville. Currently president of Towson University, 바카라사이트 professor of marketing will take on 바카라사이트 post in February, succeeding Neeli Bendapudi, who is now president of Pennsylvania State University. Professor Schatzel previously served as provost of Eastern Michigan University and dean of 바카라사이트 College of Business at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan-Dearborn. She said she would work to advance Louisville¡¯s reputation ¡°as a pre-eminent institution nationally recognised¡± for its work in education and research.

Fiona Devine has been appointed vice-president at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, and dean of its Faculty of Humanities. The professor of sociology, who has?led 바카라사이트 Alliance Manchester Business School for 바카라사이트 past 10 years, will succeed Keith Brown when he steps down at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 academic year. Dame Nancy Rothwell, Manchester¡¯s president, said Professor Devine would ¡°continue to shape 바카라사이트 future of a faculty which is absolutely at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s success¡±.

Simon Ringer and Louis Sharpe are being promoted to fill two newly created leadership positions at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, becoming pro vice-chancellor (research infrastructure) and pro vice-chancellor (researcher training), respectively. Professor Ringer is currently director of Core Research Facilities at 바카라사이트 institution, while Professor Sharpe is director of graduate research.

Claire Macken will be 바카라사이트 next pro vice-chancellor and general director of RMIT University Vietnam. Previously she was associate deputy vice-chancellor (learning and teaching) in 바카라사이트 College of Business and Law at RMIT¡¯s Melbourne campus.

Andy Chan is joining Robert Gordon University as dean of its School of Engineering. He is currently vice-provost of research and knowledge exchange at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham Malaysia.

Melanie Bish will be La Trobe University¡¯s next pro vice-chancellor (regional). An associate professor of nursing, she moves from her current position as deputy dean of 바카라사이트 La Trobe Rural Health School.