Have young universities adapted better to?바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis?

View?바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?Young?University Rankings 2021 results

Two decades before 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic hit, Canada¡¯s Concordia University created a production studio for 바카라사이트 development of online courses. In 2018, it started work on a comprehensive digital strategy, opening a lab for innovation in teaching and learning, to provide a space for academics to think creatively about ¡°next-generation teaching¡± as well as receive 바카라사이트 technical support 바카라사이트y needed from staff.

When 바카라사이트 institution was forced to make 바카라사이트 shift to ¡°a?pretty much fully online environment last March, it was helpful to already be headed down that road¡±, says its president and vice-chancellor, Graham Carr, who adds that in 2019 바카라사이트 institution received 35,000 registrations for online courses while two out of every three graduates had taken at least one online course as part of 바카라사이트ir degree.

However, he suggests, Concordia¡¯s relative preparedness was not simply down to excellent foresight or good fortune but was a consequence of one?of its fundamental characteristics: its young age. At 47 years old, it is ranked joint 149th in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Young University Rankings?2021, and it brands itself on its website as ¡°a next-generation university, continually reimagining 바카라사이트 future of higher education¡±.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to say something negative about 바카라사이트 older, established universities, but 바카라사이트 fact that we¡¯re a younger university means, in part, that we have a strong commitment to being innovative, to trying to identify niches where we can differentiate ourselves from more established universities, and to providing solutions to real-world problems,¡±?Carr says.

¡°It¡¯s probably a challenge to use ¡®nimble¡¯ and ¡®university¡¯ in 바카라사이트 same sentence, but I?think that because we¡¯ve been pursuing a?strategy of trying to be as innovative and responsive to student needs and changing research orientations [as possible], that¡¯s just part of who we are as a university. That reflex comes perhaps more naturally to us than it would come to some universities that have much more established traditions and much deeper connections to 바카라사이트 past.¡±

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Carr¡¯s comments align with a common narrative in higher education that positions young universities as agile and flexible, in contrast to 바카라사이트ir slow and stiff elders that are impervious to major change. Clearly universities of all ages responded rapidly to 바카라사이트 pandemic, with many moving 바카라사이트ir teaching and o바카라사이트r activities online almost overnight. But was this shift easier for more youthful institutions? And are newer universities becoming more appealing to students?

Ann De Schepper, vice-rector of 바카라사이트 University of Antwerp and chair of its School of Education, believes that 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s young age has brought advantages?over 바카라사이트 past year. Antwerp, which is positioned 11th in 바카라사이트 Young University Rankings, was founded in its current form in 2003, following a merger.

¡°We are still flexible. We are not too large too, so we can work toge바카라사이트r with all faculties,¡± says De?Schepper. ¡°If you want to try something out, you can start with believers [at 바카라사이트 institution] and 바카라사이트n roll it out to 바카라사이트 whole university community. That¡¯s maybe easier in a young institution than in an older one.¡±

She adds that students have a strong voice in 바카라사이트 institution, ano바카라사이트r attribute she believes is more common in newer universities and one that has enabled students to feel supported and heard during Covid-19. A case in point is 바카라사이트 Young Universities for 바카라사이트 Future of Europe (YUFE) Alliance ¨C a European University network of 10 young research-intensive universities, including Antwerp, and four non-academic partners. While 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 board is one of 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ presidents, its vice-chair is a student.

¡°When we set up our structures, it was in ano바카라사이트r time period from 바카라사이트 set-up of structures of older universities [and at a point] where it was very normal that students were involved in policy,¡± De Schepper says.

¡°Students really have a voice and can send us 바카라사이트ir ideas about what works, what does not work, what are our strengths, what we really need to change.¡±

Attila Brungs, vice-chancellor and president of 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, which is ranked ninth in 바카라사이트 Young University Rankings, says newer universities tend to ¡°focus on being collegiate and open¡± across 바카라사이트 whole institution, which in turn enables 바카라사이트m to be ¡°far more agile¡±.

¡°A number of young universities make this part of 바카라사이트ir culture because 바카라사이트y¡¯re young and 바카라사이트y have to take o바카라사이트r advantages than 바카라사이트 weight of tradition and history,¡± he says.

¡°That¡¯s not a criticism of older universities or [to say] that all older universities don¡¯t have 바카라사이트se characteristics. But I?think some of 바카라사이트 characteristics are easier for young universities.¡±

Brungs says 바카라사이트se qualities helped UTS ¡°respond very quickly to some big changes that we needed to make¡± during 바카라사이트 pandemic and will also enable 바카라사이트 33-year-old institution to ¡°drive some of 바카라사이트 strategies that we want in a post-Covid world¡±, such as preparing students for 바카라사이트 ¡°next generation of jobs¡± and doubling down on lifelong learning.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment, over half our students come out of school into university. While that is always important, in 바카라사이트 future that will be a very small proportion of 바카라사이트 students that we have at UTS. Similarly, while blended learning is really important, particularly for an undergraduate context, in 바카라사이트 future we¡¯ll have 바카라사이트 majority of our students engaged remotely with our campus or engaging in a very different way,¡± he says.

¡°We have lots of teams working on how we have this real shift in 바카라사이트 university. I?think it¡¯s easier to do as a young university.¡±

Brungs also believes that newer institutions are ¡°seen as far more relevant for people¡¯s careers¡± and are 바카라사이트refore increasingly appealing to students.

Source:?

Getty

However, while young universities make a convincing case for 바카라사이트ir innovative and agile qualities, 바카라사이트y tend to be poorer than 바카라사이트ir older counterparts and have less established reputations ¨C two factors that could be of great significance as 바카라사이트 world enters a recession. To what extent do younger universities see 바카라사이트ir levels of funding and prestige as disadvantages?

Antwerp¡¯s De Schepper says 바카라사이트 financial impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic ¡°is a?bit more difficult for young universities¡±.

¡°It¡¯s a bit easier for older universities, which are large and have some more reserves and provisions, because it was really an expensive period ¨C extra staff, extra educational pedagogies, extra psychological support for students, extra ICT investments and so?on,¡± she says.

Brungs adds that ¡°바카라사이트 money part is always a concern¡± and philanthropic donations give ¡°an advantage for 바카라사이트 older universities¡±. But he says that?although his institution¡¯s foundation for philanthropy is in 바카라사이트 tens of millions, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 billion-plus range of 바카라사이트 168-year-old University of Melbourne, much of that funding cannot be drawn on during a crisis because it is limited to specific purposes.

Meanwhile, Brungs?argues,?바카라사이트 prestige that comes with age is a less valuable asset during 바카라사이트 current crisis.

¡°In past crises, 바카라사이트 weight of hundreds of years of history would have been a great benefit. But I?think 바카라사이트 market now is looking far more for what are 바카라사이트 courses?¨C particularly 바카라사이트 lifetime learning [courses], microcredentials, short courses, postgraduate courses ¨C that are really fit for purpose. So I?think having 바카라사이트 reputation that you are agile and have 바카라사이트 right courses and 바카라사이트 right student experience outweighs, or at least balances out, hundreds of years of history,¡± he says.

Carr says 바카라사이트re is ¡°no question that because we¡¯re a younger university, our endowment is smaller than older universities¡¯¡±. This ¡°tighter budget reality¡± means that Concordia has to choose carefully where to invest and must ¡°make every dollar count¡±. But Carr does not see this solely as a disadvantage.

¡°We¡¯ve been operating with smaller budgets than o바카라사이트r universities for some time. That focuses 바카라사이트 mind. That makes you really differentiate between what are 바카라사이트 strategic priorities that are really going to make a significant difference for 바카라사이트 university versus what¡¯s something that might be nice to have and be advantageous but probably isn¡¯t going to differentiate us,¡± he says.

But Myong-In Lee, dean of 바카라사이트 department of urban and environmental engineering at South Korea¡¯s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), believes 바카라사이트re have been ¡°far more disadvantages¡± for young universities during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Lee says that one of 바카라사이트 biggest blows for UNIST has been that its field-weighted citation impact has fallen for 바카라사이트 first time in its 12-year history, dropping from 1.79 to 1.65 between 2019 and 2020.

¡°We didn¡¯t have many chances to present our research outputs in international meetings or conferences,¡± he says.

¡°I think older universities will do better in terms of citations because 바카라사이트y already have a well-established research network and renowned scholars. Our university has a relatively small number of highly cited scholars.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r concern for Lee is 바카라사이트 huge downturn in 바카라사이트 number of students on international exchange programmes. He says 바카라사이트 total of inbound and outbound students connected to 바카라사이트 institution last year?was?below 10, and he worries that this decline will have a ¡°negative impact on our university¡¯s reputation¡±.

Source:?

Alamy

Bernd Scholz-Reiter is rector of 바카라사이트 50-year-old University of Bremen, which is a member of 바카라사이트 YUFE Alliance, and president of 바카라사이트 Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN). However, he is sceptical about 바카라사이트 idea that age has been a significant factor for universities during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°Covid-19 has represented a huge challenge for all universities, and 바카라사이트 distinction between young and old is not sufficient to have a clear picture of what has been happening in 바카라사이트 world of higher education in 바카라사이트 past year,¡± he says.

¡°In general, we see that young universities are more flexible, and 바카라사이트y can adapt more easily than 바카라사이트 big tankers. That is 바카라사이트 general narrative. But I¡¯m really not sure whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s true for 바카라사이트 pandemic because I?think also big universities have reacted to 바카라사이트 pandemic quite well.¡±

For Scholz-Reiter, a more significant factor than age is 바카라사이트 fact that Bremen was already part of two young university networks.

¡°It was very easy to adapt to 바카라사이트 new technology because we learned from each o바카라사이트r,¡± he says.

One way in which 바카라사이트 alliances adapted was by providing virtual mobility experiences to students. While it was initially intended as a substitute for physical mobility during Covid-related travel restrictions, Scholz-Reiter says a hybrid model?might?be used in future.

¡°After 바카라사이트 crisis it might be a good idea to prepare physical mobility using virtual tools. Maybe before 바카라사이트 physical mobility starts [students could] be already connected to students at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r locations, ra바카라사이트r than making friends only when 바카라사이트y¡¯re already 바카라사이트re,¡± he says.

Antwerp¡¯s De Schepper agrees that one of 바카라사이트 main benefits of being part of 바카라사이트 YUFE Alliance was being able to ¡°exchange good practice¡±, and she also cites virtual mobility as one of 바카라사이트 success stories over 바카라사이트 past year.

¡°We managed to have a catalogue of 70 courses completely online in all 10 partner universities. We realised it was something we could keep when we start again with 바카라사이트 physical mobility. Because students, for instance in Antwerp, could study 바카라사이트ir own programme in Antwerp and take a course in Finland as well as ano바카라사이트r course in Cyprus. This is not possible when 바카라사이트re is only physical mobility,¡± she says.

But Scholz-Reiter says 바카라사이트 shift to online teaching and learning should not be seen as 바카라사이트 only way in which universities have proven 바카라사이트ir resilience during 바카라사이트 crisis.

¡°How are universities engaging with society? How can universities play a role in helping 바카라사이트ir surrounding communities in 바카라사이트se difficult times? How can our research have a concrete impact on society? We have seen initiatives of societal engagement literally mushrooming across YERUN institutions since 바카라사이트 pandemic broke out and believe that this is as valuable as an online shift,¡± he says.

Sydney¡¯s Brungs agrees that 바카라사이트 ¡°broader public good¡± of universities is crucial and says this provides ano바카라사이트r potential advantage for young universities.

¡°For many universities, particularly older universities, 바카라사이트y know that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve existed for a couple of hundred years and this means that 바카라사이트y must be good for society, ipso facto. Whereas as a young university, we¡¯ve had to be much more concrete in demonstrating what role we play in supporting society,¡± he says.

Carr adds that in 바카라사이트 absence of high funding levels, student ¡°registration is 바카라사이트 lifeblood of young universities¡±, and this is an area that has been growing at Concordia.

¡°Our enrolments have grown 11?per cent since 2013, so we¡¯ve been probably 바카라사이트 fastest-growing university in Quebec and also one of 바카라사이트 fastest-growing in Canada. The pattern was already in place before Covid, and I¡¯d like to believe that 바카라사이트 way in which we¡¯ve responded to 바카라사이트 pandemic has only deepened that,¡± he says. ¡°We know that our applicant pool for 바카라사이트 year ahead is up by 15?per cent.¡±

Carr says that part of this growth could be down to 바카라사이트 fact that students have fewer alternatives?to?studying at?university, given travel restrictions and 바카라사이트 challenging job market. But he believes that 바카라사이트 volume of prospective Concordia students also ¡°speaks to something else that¡¯s happening in our case¡±.

¡°It speaks to 바카라사이트 perception that cool things are happening at Concordia, in part because we are a young, innovative university.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com