What is future proof education at Ghent University?

We are at a tipping point for the transformation of higher education, prompted by economic, social and environmental needs. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation process and provided additional innovation opportunities. With this project, Ghent University wants to renew its programmes and make them 'future-proof', based on criteria from various European policy agendas:

• EU agendas such as European Education Area (2020), European Skills Agenda, (2020), the European Strategy for Universities including the European Universities initiative and a European approach to micro-credentials
• European vision documents such as Universities without walls, a vision for 2030 (EUA, 2021) and Possible scenarios on the path towards a European degree (EUA & ENQA, 2020).

   

Ghent University wants to focus on a future-proof and flexible course catalogue. In the next five years, it will assess its programmes based on five future-proof criteria: 

• T-shaped professional: does the programme offer a well-considered balance between acquiring the discipline-specific competencies, which are still very important, and the generic competencies, which are gaining importance?
• Inter-/multi-/transdisciplinarity in the curriculum: do students from different disciplines interact with each other during the programme?
• Stepping stones principle: is this systematically integrated for the acquisition of international and intercultural competences?
• Embedding in society: does the programme respond to future social needs, based on/using 'real-life challenges'? Does it also offer students opportunities for social engagement and internships?
• Central position of the student: Does the programme offer flexible learning opportunities and learning pathways so that students can personalise their education in a competence-oriented way? Is there attention for self-direction and guidance of the student?

    

The European Universities initiative ENLIGHT, of which UGent is part of, will support the implementation and testing of these principles.

Within the Apollo project, Ghent University will work on future-proof education through central initiatives, and initiatives on the faculties and within the programmes. Find out more about it below! 

Central initiatives

• Working on a vision and methodologies to support the embedding of the five UGent future-proof criteria in the programmes through innovation in learning outcomes, programme and assessment.
• Developing initiatives for the professionalisation of and providing hands-on support for study programmes and lecturers for implementing future-proof education .
• Supervising the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of these future-proof curricula in 20 selected pilot courses that are diversified across the faculties.

The development of the vision and methodologies runs parallel to the processes in the faculties. We therefore aim for a co-creation process between the faculties, programmes and central staff.

  

Contact: Sabine Lamote, Evi Van Mol and Thibault Hoogstoel