The Impact of Digitalization in Higher Educational Institutions

Digital Technology has changed the education scenario in the educational institutions by enhancing teaching and learning, research and governance. There is great need of adequate infrastructure, better internet connectivity, up to date digital equipment’s, safe platform and digitally competent professionals. In India, higher education institution is evident with the increasing use of ICT, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality in day-to-day practices which enhances competencies and help in aligning with industry-based skills. This article presents the issues related to implementation of digitalization process in higher education institutions.

Scientific Culture and Education Sector: Literacy, Understanding, or Engagement?

<p style="text-align: justify;">Scientific culture has been a concern for decades in the developed world, giving rise to conceptual changes known as paradigms. The first one is the longstanding literacy paradigm, defined by the skills and knowledge acquired at the education institution. It has been followed by the public understanding of science paradigm, related to the scientific understanding and an allegedly subsequent positive attitude towards science. Lastly, the engagement with science paradigm or science and society paradigm involves people's implications about the science-technology controversies with significant social impact. This article reflects how science teaching has evolved along the years in line with the scientific culture's conceptual shifts. It is concluded that this triad of paradigms is thus of a school nature, given that educational fields have suffered from transformation processes under the same vision of the world (world view), which has also changed the concept of scientific culture. Individuals in a research community learn ways of thinking, feeling and acting and therefore cannot help feeling a liking for what is short-lived and has not taken roots, both inside and outside the school in our postmodern age</p>

Factors Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Employees at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to assess the CVD risk (CVDRisk) in a sample of workers at a specific workplace: a higher education institution in Portugal. Data were collected using a questionnaire (e.cuidHaMUs.QueST®) with 345 HEI workers from June 2017–June 2018 with a high response rate (93.3%). Two constructs of risks for CVD were considered: (i) metabolic risk and hypertension (CVDRisk1); and (ii) modifiable behavioural risk (CVDRisk2). Logistic regression analyses were used to establish a relationship between risk indexes/constructs (CVDRisk1 and CVDRisk2) and groups of selected variables. The most prevalent CVD risk factor was hypercholesterolaemia (43.2%). Sixty-eight percent of participants were in the construct CVDRisk1 while almost half of the respondents were in CVDRisk2 (45.2%). The consumption of soft drinks twice a week or more contributed to a significantly increased risk of CVD in CVDRisk1. Lack of regular exercise and lack of daily fruit consumption significantly increased the risk of CVD in CVDRisk2. The challenge to decision makers and the occupational medical community is to incorporate this information into the daily practices of health surveillance with an urgent need for health promotional education campaigns in the workplace.

The Contribution of Innovative Changes to the Strategic Development of Universities in the Context of Achieving Sustainability

This paper constitutes a scientific approach, where there have been highlighted the most important innovative changes that influence the development of a higher education institution and shape the activity of universities towards permanent adaptation to achieve their sustainability. The topicality of the research topic stems from the need to identify effective measures to achieve sustainability in higher education institutions. The aim of the research is to identify the innovative changes that have a positive impact on the strategic development of the universities. The problem of the research lies in highlighting the most important innovative changes that can affect the universities in achieving their sustainability. In this context, we can reiterate that innovative changes have been defined and analysed from the perspective of the need of university change in the direction of their assimilation within institutions. In addition, the innovative potential of the Republic of Moldova was evaluated from the perspective of the analysis of the categories of scientific researchers, of the research fields, of the expenses undertaken by the state for the development of scientific researches. The research methodology focused on the use of several methods: analysis, synthesis, induction, abduction, deduction, qualitative research through documentation, scientific abstraction. In conclusion, we can reiterate that the Republic of Moldova has a valuable innovation potential, which can lead the country to achieve sustainability. The best solution would be the efficient capitalization of the innovative potential of the country but also its direction towards ensuring an ecological-economic-social balance, in the context of applying a management of university sustainability within higher education institutions.

Business employability for late millennials: exploring the perceptions of generation Z students and generation X faculty

Purpose The paper aims to explore employability in business as perceived by Generation Z (late millennials) business students and faculty. It focuses on perceptions regarding necessary employability skills from the diverse standpoints of two different groups of stakeholders within one Higher Education Institution. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a Mixed Qualitative Design approach including a core and a supplementary component; Generation Z student perceptions are initially identified through a thematic analysis of students’ research reports on employability. These perceptions are then further contextualized through findings from a series of personal interviews conducted with Generation X academics in the same institution. Findings The findings support the two basic dimensions of perceived employability, work readiness and employability skills, for which students and educators hold similar notions. Both stakeholders distinguish between “hard” and “soft” skills, but filter their relative importance through a generational lens. An emerging finding was the link between personality traits and perceived employability skills. Originality/value The paper examines the much-debated issue of perceived employability through the eyes of Generation Z students; research on employability perceptions of Generation Z is, to date, limited. The topic is timely, as Generation Z is the newest generation entering the business job market. In addition, the paper adds to the emerging contemporary stream of literature exploring employability in the field of business education.

Attitudes towards infopreneurship among information science students at a higher education institution

This study aimed to explore the attitudes of students of a higher education institution towards infopreneurship. The study emanated from observations that the widespread use of information technologies has created a new sector in the labor market – infopreneurship. The study adopted the case study research design based on focus group discussions to establish the students’ attitudes towards infopreneurship. The participants for the focus groups were students of the Information Science department at the University of Technology, Cape Town. Data collection during the focus group discussions was based on unstructured interviews. Quantitative data analysis was applied based on data reduction from codes to categories. An enterprising attitude (26.4% code frequency) dominated the positive responses while negative attitudes were mainly reflected by a critical attitude (20.8% code frequency) towards infopreneurship. While it appeared that positive attitudes were more prevalent than negative attitudes, there were notable observations that the respondents were critical or neutral towards the essence of infopreneurship in the South African context. It was found that the belief that infopreneurship is not a viable form of employment was still prevalent. Some respondents believed that employment means working for someone. They felt that there is greater respect in being employed than engaging in infopreneurship. Some respondents, however, appear to have stronger entrepreneurial orientations and felt that infopreneurship offers the best employment opportunities. The study recommends changes in higher education curricula and the creation of a stimulating environment for infopreneurship.

Using the Design Thinking Process to Co-create a New, Interdisciplinary Design Thinking Course to Train 21st Century Graduate Students

Background: Our instructional team at the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led an innovative project that used IDEO.org's design thinking process to create a brand-new interdisciplinary graduate course, housed in the school of public health, titled Design Thinking for the Public Good. We offer our course design process as a case study of the use of design thinking for course design.Methods: We collected data and generated insights through a variety of inspiration, ideation, and implementation design thinking methods alongside members of our three stakeholder groups: (2) faculty who teach or have taught courses related to design thinking at our higher education institution; (2) design thinking experts at ours and other institutions and outside of higher education; and (3) graduate students at our institution.Results: We learned that interdisciplinary design thinking courses should include growth-oriented reflection, explicit group work skills, and content with a real-world application.Conclusions: Our course design process and findings can be replicated to design courses regardless of area of study, level, or format.

Towards a Carbon Neutral and Sustainable Campus: Case Study of NED University of Engineering and Technology

Globally, universities are evaluating and targeting to reduce their carbon emissions and operate on a sustainable basis. The overall aim of this study revolves in addressing the following three questions: (1) How to calculate carbon footprint, including indicators selection, criteria, and measurement, for higher education institutions? (2) How to evaluate impact and effectiveness of various mitigation strategies in context of a higher education institution? (3) What are the possible limitations of approach selected for carbon footprint calculation. This paper presents estimation of the carbon footprint of NED University using a carbon calculator along with the identification of sources with maximum contribution to its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of the NED University main campus for 2017 was calculated to be approximately 21,500 metric tons of equivalent CO2 and carbon footprint per student was 1.79 metric tons of equivalent CO2. Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions each contributed nearly 7% of the carbon footprint, while Scope 3 emissions accounted for 85.6% of the carbon footprint. Major interventions such as switching to renewables, usage of energy efficient appliances, electric vehicles, and massive tree plantation inside and outside the campus were identified as the most effective mitigation strategies.

ADAPTATION OF STUDENTS TO RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES BASED ON THE USE OF THE UNIVERSITY HACKATHON ECOSYSTEM

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. For student youth the process of entering the profession and harmonization of interactions with professional environment and future professional activity is the key moment of life activity. This process, according to the majority of modern researchers, is a certain complexity and contradiction both for students and for higher education institution, as well as social institutions and organizations acting as social customers.METHODS. The study of the process of adaptation of student youth to research and professional activity was carried out on the basis of the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design. Assessment of students' expectations regarding studies, the level of students' awareness of the future professional and scientific activity was carried out with the help of the University Hackathon Ecosystem toolkit. Processing of the obtained results of the survey was carried out on the basis of the "Methodology of research of students' adaptability to dual education in higher education". The methodology includes two scales: adaptability to professional activity and adaptability to research activity.FINDINGS. The following directions of training are distinguished: professional, social and research, as well as stages of adaptation to professional training: learning identification, learning-professional activation, professional-value reflection. Integration of these directions allows us to organize activities that ensure formation of necessary professionally important qualities (competences) in students (graduates), agreed with potential employers and demanded by the corresponding profession. The conducted experiment on the basis of Hackathon-ecosystem of the university was carried out taking into account the directions of training and their corresponding adaptation criteria: professional direction – activity-result and motivation-value criteria; humanitarian – communication-professional criterion; research – personal-creative criterion.CONCLUSION. Students' adaptation to future professional and research activities can be defined as one of the most urgent social problems at the pre-production stage. This is due to the fact that the student spends one of the main periods of his life in a higher education institution, since it is at this time he is formed as a professional and as a person, masters the necessary competencies in order to achieve a certain professional and research level. At this stage the professional intentions of the individual and the requirements of the profession come into alignment, i.e. there is an adaptation to professional and research activities.

ORGANISATIONAL APPROACHES TO THE FORMATION OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE MARKET OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. Social responsibility is a system of innovative working relationships that acts as an essential technology that enhances the effectiveness of a higher education institution with employees, partners, customers and the community, and ultimately contributes to its prosperity and civil society. Social responsibility should focus on enhancing the image of the higher education institution, recognising its successes in society by civil institutions and individual citizens. This will increase the social value of the higher education institution, its competitiveness, sustainability and efficiency, allowing society to use the resource voluntarily provided by the higher education institution to balance organisational and social interests.METHODS. The methods used to conduct the research were: interview, expert. The questions selected for this study were taken either from the literature or from individual interviews. The literature helped to identify important dimensions of the concept of social responsibility. The interviews helped to identify new points and possible dimensions to contextualise organisational approaches to shaping the social responsibility of higher education institutions.FINDINGS. Organizational approaches to the formation of social responsibility of higher education institutions in the market of educational services are proposed. Mechanisms to increase socio-commercial value of socially responsible higher education institutions are argued: creation of public institutions to identify, formulate public interests and present them to corporations; selection of social projects taking into account stakeholder expectations.CONCLUSION. In order to increase the efficiency of using the principles of social responsibility in HEIs, to improve their ratings, students' competitiveness in the labour market and their involvement in the task-setting and decision-making process, it is necessary to develop a programme of corporate social activity, which can become the basis for developing the HEIs' development strategy. The formation and adoption of such a strategy should be based on the interests of all stakeholders, based on the core values of the university to achieve the indicators at micro-, meso- and macrolevels.