Change is hard. But each shift provides us with new opportunities to grow, adapt and evolve, says Harjiv Singh
A thought-provoking experiment centred round the future of college education got underway in the spring of 2013 at Stanford university. Inspired by the new emphasis on online learning, the Stanford 2025 Project, explored how universities, students and teachers will approach in-person, physical learning environment a decade by bringing an end to a society of alumni in favour of a lifetime learning.
A year since COVID upended everything including education, the Stanford study with its emphasis on modular, personalised, and collaborative learning across space and time seems nothing short of prophetic. Not only has 2020 compelled a change on the ground in who is learning online, where, and how, but it has also brought into focus key questions about education.
As someone who has benefited immensely from the experience of having studied overseas including at an Ivy League school— the Columbia University — I do not mean to underestimate the invaluable insights and irreplaceable experience that traveling to study enables. But if the past year is anything to go by, it is clear higher education can no longer be sought in the same in-person, four-year on campus module.
College education, especially at any Ivy League school, is expensive. An undergrad, on-campus degree can put a family back by about $70,000 a year.
Platforms like BrainGain Global can play a pivotal role in serving as a bridge between students and universities to choose the college that best fits a student's profile and interests, smoothening the path towards enrolling in a short-term, high-value course.
The writer is founder-CEO, BrainGain Global