The futures of the University of Tehran using causal layered analysis

foresight ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammadali Baradaran Ghahfarokhi ◽  
Ali Mohaghar ◽  
Fatemeh Saghafi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Current System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Balance Sheets ◽  
Master Plans ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
Causal Layered Analysis ◽  
The Times ◽  
The University

PurposeHigher education and universities have faced unprecedented and ubiquitous changes. The University of Tehran or “UT,” as the leading university in Iran, is not immune to these changes. The purposes of this study is to investigate the current situation and future of the UT and gain insights and possible responses to changes that suit its strengths and potential to progress in an increasingly competitive, complex environment with uncertainties. It identifies deep fundamental underpinnings of the issue and highlights them for policymakers to formulate strategies and future vision of the UT.Design/methodology/approachCausal layered analysis (CLA) was applied as a framework and the data collected from different sources such as literature reviews, content analysis of rules, regulations and master plans of the university and coded interviews of four different groups of university stakeholders were analyzed. The current system of UT, as well as hidden beliefs, that maintains traditional perceptions about university was mapped. Next, by applying a new recursive process and reverse CLA order, new CLA layers extracted through an expert panel, the layers of CLA based on new metaphors to envision future of UT were backcasted.FindingsThe results from CLA layers including litany, system, worldview and metaphor about the current statue of UT show disinterest and inertia against changes, conservative, behind the times and traditional perceptions, and indicate that the UT system is mismatched to the needs of society and stakeholders in the future. The authors articulated alternative perspectives deconstructed from other worldviews so there are new narratives that reframe the issues at hand. The results show that to survive in this fast-paced revolution and competition in higher education, UT should develop scenarios and formulate new strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors had limited access to a wide range of stakeholders. As the UT is a very big university with so many faculties and departments, to access a pool of experts and top policymakers who were so busy and did not have time to interview inside and outside of university was very hard for the research team. The authors also had limitation to access the internal enactments and decisions of the trustee board of the UT and the financial balance sheets of the university.Originality/valueIn this paper, by mixing different methods of futures studies, the authors have shown how to move forward while understanding the perspectives of stakeholders about the future of UT by a new recursive process and reverse CLA order. A supplementary phase was added to improve CLA and to validate the method and results, which were ignored in previous studies.

Nine emerging student needs

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Hines ◽  
Alexandra Whittington
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Cafe ◽  
The Future ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. The resulting scenarios were analyzed for their implications, including the use of the World Café technique, and ultimately led to the identification of nine emerging student needs. Findings Nine specific emerging needs of future students could be used strategically by institutions of higher education to guide and inform planning and to generate innovative ideas for university offerings. Specific examples of offerings that would meet the projected future needs are recommended. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all of the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This piece explores student life in its totality as way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

Key issues influencing the future internationalization of higher education: the case of Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Hines ◽  
Lakhana Dockiao
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Strategic Plan ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Issues ◽  
Horizon Scanning ◽  
The Future ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The rapidly changed global context for internationalization (IZN) over the next decade prompted a decision to use a futurist perspective for identifying issues to be considered in the organization’s next strategic plan. This paper aims to report on this project to identify current and strategic issues influencing the future strategy of the higher education (HE) IZN for Thailand on behalf of the Bureau of International Cooperation Strategy and the Office of the Higher Education Commission. Design/methodology/approach The research approach was a customized version of the University of Houston’s Framework Foresight method. It involved framing the domain with a description and domain map, scanning for signals of change within the domain and emerging issues analysis to produce a set of current and emerging issues. A planning step synthesizes a set of recommended actions. Findings The key findings reported in this paper are the identification of 14 current and emerging issues influencing the future of the IZN of HE in Thailand. The issues were organized along with the three horizons framework: H1: how are we [currently] doing? H2: what should we do next and H3, where do we want to go? The primary recommendation of this research reported on in this study is to consider the 14 issues for inclusion into the next strategic plan. Seven specific strategic options mapped over three phases were identified as well. The research reported here was carried out for Thailand, but the process could easily be adapted by other countries and other topics. Research limitations/implications The modified version of the University of Houston Framework Foresight approach has been applied successfully to many topics. The topic explored here is focused on one nation, Thailand. The authors feel the lessons are, however, broadly applicable. Practical implications The ability to use a futurist perspective to identify current and emerging issues is highlighted. The organizing of the issues using the three horizons framework proved to be particularly useful in helping the client to develop a sense of timing regarding the future, that is, when and to what degree to pay attention to the many issues that typically confront any organization. Originality/value The use of the three horizons framework in the analysis of the emerging issues provide benefits in two ways in situating the likely timing of signals of change in horizon scanning and “scan hits” both scanning for the identification of issues and organizing the resulting current and emerging issues along the three horizons with H1 current issues: how are we [currently] doing?; H2 emerging issues: what should we do next and H3 emerging issues, where do we want to go? The paper also includes a section exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the likely timing of the issues identified just before the pandemic hit, finding that timing of some issues would speed up, some would stay the same and some would slow down.

Leadership and governance in higher education 2025: can Malaysian universities meet the challenge?

foresight ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohail Inayatullah ◽  
Ivana Milojevic
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Leadership Academy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Causal Layered Analysis ◽  
Governance In Higher Education ◽  
The University ◽  
Anticipatory Action

Purpose The purpose of this report is to present the findings of a five-day course for AKEPT – the Malaysian Leadership Academy in the Ministry of Higher Education. The course was held from March 24-28th, 2014, for over 50 lecturers, professors, deputy deans and deans from Malaysian universities. Design/methodology/approach Senior lecturers and professors deliberated for the first three days on the futures of higher education in Malaysia. They presented their scenarios and recommendations to the deans. The deans used these findings to articulate their own preferred futures in the last two days. The future-oriented discussions were framed by the “six pillars” futures approach (Inayatullah, 2008; Inayatullah, 2015; Inayatullah and Milojevic, 2015). Findings The core of their recommendation consisted of a move by 2025 from the current fragmented university governance structure to a streamlined consortium model. Instead of the factory, a collection of linked longhouses or “rumah panjang” was offered as a way forward. This new model would have two immediate benefits: considerable cost savings and enhanced mobility for students and professors. Research limitations/implications This case study presents scenarios and strategies. Limitations include the willingness of the Ministry to act on these recommendations. However, as this course was part of a number of foresight processes in Malaysia, even if these particular recommendations do not realize, they are steps in creating an ecology of foresight and of possible university transformation. Practical implications This study links causal layered analysis, scenarios and visions to recommendations in the context of a multi-year foresight process. Social implications The study includes valuable discussions by leading Malaysian thinkers and administrators on the futures of the university. Originality/value This was one of the few workshop-oriented interventions used the anticipatory action learning “six pillars framework”. It is especially valuable as it is the third year of futures intervention in higher education. The study contrasts with traditional expert-based forecasting in Asia.

The future of student life: participating

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-180
Author(s):  
Johann Schutte
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Maker Movement ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The University

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Participating is explored here. This aspect focuses on the ways that students may become active citizens by participating in civic life. Insights are gained as to how students may engage with universities and governments and how they will contribute to the public sphere. Themes such as voting, (h)activism, transparency and digital strategies to improve governance are explored. This paper aims to summarize two scenarios about the Participating domain from the Student Needs 2025+ project and highlight implications for the future of higher education. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. Findings The ability of students and citizens to innovate and affect change should not be underestimated. The maker movement and the “life hacking” meme are symbols of the hidden societal energy available to governments to improve the world and solve our pressing issues. For this to be effective, the role of the hacker, and hacktivism in general as a form of civic participation, should be reframed as a positive contributor of change. The relationship between governing bodies and activism is at a crossroads. The current age of interconnectivity offers tremendous potential for governing bodies to include civil contributions and innovation in a powerful, net-positive way. However, the status quo is so often the opposite and those who are being governed are perceived as a threat. There is a need for key players and leaders to creatively act according to innovative paradigms and principles that strategically reconcile the hacked and the hacking for the greater good of society. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all of the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Originality/value This paper explores student life in its totality as a way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

The future of student life: connecting

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-176
Author(s):  
James Breaux
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Future ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The University

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Connecting is explored in this paper. Students will be more connected in the future. They will expect more bandwidth and tools. Driven by the impacts of social expectations in a world of changing sexual and gender mores, they may participate in a wider range of communities. This paper aims to summarize two scenarios about the Connecting domain from the Student Needs 2025+ project, and highlight implications for the future of higher education. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. Findings Students will become more connected; connected to their extended families, to communities and to artificial intelligence. The technological interfaces facilitating these connections and many others will become less dispensable and more essential to happy daily life; don't leave home without your “phone”. To address the stressors arising from increasing information and social connectivity, students will need more counseling and tools to adjust and flourish. The formation of character, which is so central an outcome of the student learning experience, will no longer rely so heavily on face-to-face interactions at brick and mortar locations, but will be the result of a kaleidoscope of machine and personal interactions conducted remotely, asynchronously, and virtually as well. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, this paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all of the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This piece explores student life in its totality as a way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

The future of student life: learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie King
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
New Learning ◽  
The Future ◽  
The University

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Learning is explored here. New learning models and approaches and changing student expectations could lead to dramatic reshaping of the higher education landscape. The purpose of this paper is to summarize two scenarios about the learning domain from the Student Needs 2025+ project and highlight implications for the future of higher education. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. Findings Students will increasingly gravitate toward new learning models focused on experiential learning, taking advantage of advanced “edutech” and aimed at achieving specific outcomes. They will seek personalized learning approaches specific to their needs, and they will be increasingly willing to look outside the traditional higher education system if needed. The landscape will be characterized by power struggles: between the traditional players and the new entrants, between institutions and students and between competing philosophies of learning. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This research explores student life in its totality as way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

The maturation process of incorporating sustainability in universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Vargas ◽  
Claudia Mac-Lean ◽  
Jean Huge
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Santiago De Chile ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University

Purpose In the past few decades, sustainability in higher education has become ever more prevalent, although the diversity in pace of adoption and the wide range of interpretations and practices is huge. The purpose of this study is to present recent research on organizational change processes in universities. Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach applied corresponds to the social issue maturation framework, to identify, describe and assess patterns of change across higher education institutions. The maturation of sustainability in universities can be divided into four stages: emergence, popularization, formalization and maturity. Findings The findings indicate that sustainability processes often begin as ad hoc processes which grow and mature over time as a range of different actors join in. However, sustainability in universities is increasingly connected with sustainability in the private sector and with other public actors. Moreover, there is a growing acknowledgement of the interactions between society, industry and academia. Originality/value The value of the paper is to provide a critical assessment of the potential of living lab projects initiated in Belgium (Brussels) and Chile (Santiago de Chile) to anchor sustainability firmly both in the functioning of the university and in the interactions with the neighborhood. The authors reflect on the requirements and the implementation of these initiatives as a strong indication of mature sustainability integration in, and by way of, universities.

Innovations and challenges in SDG integration and reporting in higher education: a case study from the University of South Florida

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Hansen ◽  
Peter Stiling ◽  
Whitney Fung Uy
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Citizens ◽  
Sustainability Literacy ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Times ◽  
The University

Purpose As the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been widely adopted since 2015, higher education institutions (HEIs) are experimenting with ways they can be measured, reported and incorporated into all realms of the university. In this process, the challenges of SDG integration into HEIs have become more evident, from lack of resources and sustainability literacy to having multiple disconnected programs that feature the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods approach using archival materials, literature reviews, interviews and participant observation has been adopted for a case study at a university in the process of adopting the SDGs in multiple areas. Findings The University of South Florida began with efforts to incorporate SDGs at the undergraduate level, such as the Global Citizens Project that brands both events and courses with SDGs. Institutional changes coupled with the launch of the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings provided more opportunities to have broader conversations about SDGs in all areas of campus.

The future of student life: playing

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-172
Author(s):  
Laura Schlehuber
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Civic Life ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Playing is explored here, considering changes in student approaches to leisure, recreation and having fun and investigates how playing in general is changing. The purpose of this paper summarizes two scenarios about the playing domain from the Student Needs 2025+ project and highlights implications for the future of higher education. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. Findings Play has gotten serious. It is increasingly scheduled, supervised and often includes some larger objective, such as learning. This purposeful play is spreading into virtual space as well, which will increasingly be the setting for play. In the longer term, play – in the form or gamification – is likely to integrate into more and more of student life. Games and play will be used for teaching in the classroom (real and virtual), at work for training, to make exercise “fun”, and even in civic life for encouraging greater participation in governance. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This research explores student life in its totality as way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

The future of student life: working

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-168
Author(s):  
Jason Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complete Work ◽  
The Future ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
A Company ◽  
Research Domains

Purpose A research project exploring the emerging student needs explored six aspects of a student’s life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. The aspect of “working” is explored in this paper, considering how the spread of and advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation might reconfigure work, and asking what the implications of shifts in how we engage in and complete work mean for student needs. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the two scenarios about the working domain from the Student Needs 2025+ project and highlight implications for the future of higher education. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. Findings Among the various findings of the research, the most important was the critical uncertainty as to what extent will AI, automation and general advancements in technology reshape work. These technologies are actively transforming how work is accomplished and how it is organized. Given the importance of work as a central organizing principle for many, this transition adds great uncertainty to the critical skills that students will need in the future, as well as calling into question how the other five research domains (learning, playing, connecting, participating and living) are organized. The research also found that students and those entering the workforce can expect increased levels of competition for steady work within a company. Based on the current trajectory of trends and changes, it will be increasingly challenging to climb a “career ladder”, and credentials will be even more important in terms of gaining entry into the employment market. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This research explores student life in its totality as way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

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