Employability, community engagement, and global citizenship: the new face of universities

The higher education sector is facing an unprecedented context which is challenging its identity, raison d’etre, and sustainability. Knowledge is now more accessible than ever before, and practical experience, adaptability, and digital literacy weigh more than degrees in the face of employers. In these circumstances, how are universities transforming themselves to remain relevant, necessary and sustainable? This question begs a multi-pronged analysis of the changing nature and role of higher education institutions. In this paper, I propose to shed light on the myriad challenges universities are facing and discuss how a combination of pedagogical, operational and community engagement strategies can radically transform the nature of higher education in order for it to flourish. I will discuss how universities’ role is to prepare future generations of ethically engaged, soft skills-equipped individuals, who invest in university education to develop a critical and meaningful understanding of a changing world, become life-long learners, and experience –not just read about—the relevance of the disciplines they are studying. I will suggest that universities need to shift their purpose from being knowledge generators and knowledge disseminators to becoming knowledge convenors that commit to working with the communities around them.