A world where students never graduate

The role of the universities in providing lifelong learning

The business universities operate in a context of globalization, demographic change towards an aging society and rapid technological advancement. With increasing global competition and a world where skills have a shorter shelf life and “half of the jobs we know today will disappear in the coming decade”, companies and employees are under increasing pressure to update and renew their skills continuously throughout life. The world is changing, and jobs are changing – and both are changing fast. The key to cope with change and complexity is to give people the competence to deal with change and thereby prosper in an era of change. Educating young people to cope with change is central but educat-ing adults already in the labour market is equally critical.

A well-qualified labour force is crucial to ensuring competitiveness and prosperity in our knowledge societies. To create a stable and equal society, education must span from kindergarten to retirement, and it should be for every-one. In an ageing society, with a workforce that is shrinking, Europeans will have to work longer and therefore those aged 30+ must be given opportunities to update their skills. Studies com-pleted in early-life cannot provide all the knowledge an individual will need throughout their working life. Universities in general should have a distinct role in (re-)educating highly-qualified people who are much needed in the labour market.

  Furthermore, universities are obliged to broaden the access to lifelong learning and make sure that education and learning are fully available to a diverse student population. Digital technolo-gies create abundant opportunities to deliver education and learning that is more available and flexible, in the classroom as well as through non-traditional means such as MOOCs, virtual classrooms and e-learning. With this background the following questions arise:

•Are universities agile enough to provide relevant degrees and courses targeted lifelong learners? Or will other actors, who may operate more agile, take over the lifelong learn-ing market?     

•How do universities educate to jobs that do not yet exist?

•How do we design more attractive, open and inclusive ways to bring people in different phases of their life and professional cycles back into education?

To reinvent higher education, to deal with the potential disruption posed by online learning and respond to shifting needs and expectations of future employees and students, the universities must offer flexible learning paths for lifelong learners. We could:

 Challenge the 3+2 model

•The Danish “Corporate Graduate Programme” (3+4). This master programme is a part-time programme and the students must be employed in a relevant occupation at least 25 hours a week, during their 4-year master studies

•Introduce a 1-year Master Programme (3+1) either as a full-time study or part time study combined with relevant occupation

Transform traditional “teaching” into online and blended “learning” to provide academic challenge, flexibility, diversity, activation and interaction.

Make programmes and vocational training more flexible. Make it easier to take breaks in-between modules to facilitate flexible learning.

Increase the possibility of interdisciplinarity in Programmes. Multidisciplinarity is critical to understand the causes and complexities of societal challenges and to develop innovative Solutions.

Secure a funding model for lifelong learning. What may be the societal funding model if employees need to spend 10-20 per cent of their present work life in continuous upgrading of their knowledge?

About Per Holten-Andersen

Per Holten-Andersen has been president of Copenhagen Business School since 2012. CBS has over 22.500 students and it’s academic staff includes internationally-recognised experts in classical business disciplines as well as in philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, law, political science, information systems, culture and languages. With an academic education and a PhD in forest economics, he has a broad focus, not only on economics, but also on environmental and ethical aspects of economic activity. Per Holten-Andersen is strongly committed to developing the university’s role in society as a driver of innovation and growth, with a clear focus on responsible management, ethics, and corporate social responsibility.

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