Pivot from higher to continuous learning

In many parts of the world, there is the notion that a degree from a good institution is a ticket to a better future. But when Covid-19 struck, universities - long-time beneficiaries of rising prosperity, government support and booming demand - found themselves losing significant revenue due to a drop in enrolments as well as the number of students staying on campus. People have begun to question the value of paying significant sums of money for a three- or four-year degree programme. It is highly possible that university courses of the future will become shorter and more modular, and that the elaborate ceremonies held for those completing their degrees will become a relic of the past - like physical degree scrolls.

Institutes of higher learning should perhaps now be called institutes of continuous learning. Once students enrol, they do not graduate just once, but will go on to have a lifelong relationship with their alma mater. One option which does not exist today, but may well become a norm in future, is unlimited lifelong credits that allow them to stack up as many modules as they want - whenever they have a change of interest, or need to upgrade their skills for a new job. Instead of grouping people by age, students at different stages of their personal and professional lives should be able to mingle and learn through a combination of online and offline modes. In a world where names have not even been found for some emerging jobs, this may well become a necessity.