The question of what learning and teaching should look like at the university of the future is being discussed around the world. Moreover, with the founding of a new technical university in Upper Austria, global students at the first Festival University presented their ideas and visions at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria.
The Festival University is an international hybrid summer university started by Johannes Kepler University (JKU) and Ars Electronica.
One hundred selected students between the ages of 16 and 24 representing 40 nationalities from countries including the United States, Austria, Montenegro, Egypt, Germany, Guatemala, and Vietnam traveled to Linz, Austria to take part in the Festival University, a three-week collaboration with Ars Electronica Festival and Johannes Kepler University Linz. The change-making students co-created and presented strategies for transforming the university of the future. Education technologies and innovative communication tools were part of the discussion, and individual participants were also able to participate entirely digitally.
“If we want to found a university of the 21st century here and now, it cannot be more of the same, but most inevitably follow a different and new way of thinking. With our Festival University we wanted to address those who bring exactly this thinking with them --young people from all over the world who want to make a difference, said Gerfried Stocker, Artistic Director at the Ars Electronica Center, adding that what was developed during the Festival University can serve as “a guide to how we need to conceive and establish learning and teaching at a 21st century university in order to advance our knowledge society.”
During the three weeks in Linz, international students discussed what makes a university attractive in the 21st century, what it stands for, and what they would design differently if they could. During a day-long workshop, the participants of the Festival University outlined what they consider to be some of the most important characteristics of the university of the future and presented their results, so university leadership across the globe can learn what students really want from their institutions going forward.
The students taking part in the discussions believe that “it doesn’t matter what a person learns, but what they do with the knowledge.” They believe that “the university of the future must always be mindful of society as a whole. New technologies and achievements must not be an end in themselves, but must be considered in the context of their social, economic, health, and legal framework and consequences.”
What students envision for the university of the future:
Diversity at all levels and professors also as mentors: Students and faculty should come from different age groups, cultures, and regions. Students want a colorful and diverse university that focuses on learning with and from each other. “We are passionate students, so we need passionate professors who not only understand but really live what they do with all their senses. Students and professors need to learn with and from each other. There need to be real open feedback channels,” said Chiara, an Industrial Design Italian student at the University of Johannesburg.
Breaking down disciplinary boundaries: For the students, the university of the future facilitates dialogue and promotes liaison between the disciplines. Interdisciplinary curricula and projects are a fixed part of the studies. Biology and art, technology and literature, or robotics and dance none of these should be a contradiction. “Connecting diverse people and an interdisciplinary approach are important building blocks for me in creating a new university,” says Kai-Jui, who studies an Interdisciplinary Program in Technology and Arts at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan.
Participation, scoop for design, and mass-personalization: Students want to actively shape their studies. They want flexibility, and the individuality in the curricula that comes with the implementation of mass-personalization. This requires choice between online and offline courses, native-language courses, and part-time studies.
Transparency and climate neutrality counts: Students want transparent selection procedures and grading. They would like to see disclosure of the structure and financing in the area of project funding.
Technical expertise, but also soft skills: The university of the future should prepare students holistically for professional life by not only educating them professionally but also let them mature personally by equipping them with soft skills such as how to deal with stress, resilience, and also hands-on workshops or professional internships.
Global challenges of tomorrow require a new approach: The Festival University’s mission is to give university students a space for creativity and co-creation so together with university leaders they can also define transformational strategies which will directly impact their future. Coming from different cultural and educational backgrounds, the participating students can explore and define new ways toward higher education digital transformation and transformational change.