The vice-chancellor at Birkbeck, University of London explains why he’s optimistic that universities and the public are ready to embrace lifelong learning through England’s Lifelong Loan Entitlement
Will the promise of lifelong learning – to extend access to higher education to more people while at the same time creating a highly skilled and relevant workforce – ever be realized? On the whole, university systems remain set up to educate 18-year-olds studying full-time degrees. And how many working-age adults are really able to take time off to go back to study and to take on more debt?
David Latchman, vice chancellor at Birkbeck, University of London, is optimistic that universities and the public have woken up to the importance of lifelong learning. In this interview, we talk about why he thinks England’s Lifelong Loan Entitlement program is the right one to unlock the benefits of lifelong learning, the sticking points of the policy and how employers should get on board.
Immersive technology expert Monica Arés explains how the combination of artificial intelligence and extended reality in education has the potential to unlock curiosity and learning, the costs that come with these tools and what she thinks teaching technology will look like in 2034.
Academic, practitioner and policy commentator Mark Thompson shares his concern that UK higher education is drifting from its true north of research, teaching and impact in the wake of complex digital change and the prisoner’s dilemma of whole-sector transformation
Two Australian academics take on the role of person-to-person contact in student success and well-being in higher education – whether that’s the benefits of in-person teaching or the effects of using AI for academic work
Experts demystify what open access and open research are, tips for best practice, and where the movement and research culture are heading.