Are city’s universities ready for the revolution?
Latest revolution threatens traditional academic model that’s slow to change
Are Montreal’s universities ready for the fourth industrial revolution?
The digital revolution set into motion decades ago has accelerated with dizzying speed and scale. The fourth industrial revolution — what Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum describes as the current fusing of technologies and blurring of lines between the physical, digital and biological worlds — has shaken well established industries with a force that has left heads spinning.
Journalism, music and entertainment, bricks and mortar retail, and the taxi industry are just a few examples. Some will disappear entirely, unable to cope. Others will adapt and thrive.
Could it happen to universities too? If the idea of universities becoming obsolete as the knowledge economy has taken off seems impossible, it shouldn’t. The fact is knowledge has never been more accessible, or more free, or — worryingly — more dubious in this era of fake news.
When it comes to knowledge creation, sharing and mobilization, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for universities to assert their traditional gatekeeper role. There are new sources of competition, redistribution and decentralization of power in the new knowledge economy.
At the same time, all around the world there is a demand for an educated workforce. Global competition for the so-called “best and the brightest” is fierce, but many employers are starting to ask questions about how well universities are preparing students for life beyond academia.
It’s worth paying attention to these conversations.
With access to six universities and 12 CÉGEPs, Montreal has the highest proportion of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America. In recent years, there has been a massive, co-ordinated push on behalf of business leaders, government, educators and others to attract and retain international students who study at our many postsecondary institutions.
The I Choose Montreal campaign, which helps international students land a job while studying or after graduation, is an example.
Montreal’s universities are also in a building frenzy. The Université de Montréal is building a science campus on the former Outremont rail yard. Concordia is planning to build a new science centre on its Loyola Campus in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Last week, the principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University and the rectors of Laval and Université de Montréal published an op-ed piece calling for the government to reinvest in university research.
“Universities,” they write, “are one of the key engines that power our society.”
Research and knowledge will always be worthwhile investments in a thriving society. Montreal has a lot at stake in ensuring that our university ecosystem can adapt and thrive.
One way would be to ask what kind of research is needed, and how to communicate it so that it can have a real world impact on policy, innovation and debate.
Unfortunately, the traditional academic model remains stubbornly slow to change. (One favourite example: an extensive publication record in academic journals remains a hallmark of a successful scholar, and a key prerequisite in applying for a tenure track job, even though there is a significant body of research demonstrating almost no one reads research published in academic journals.)
The rise of precarity at Canadian universities, particularly among people who are working toward or hold PhDs with little hope of ever getting tenure, should also prompt a rethink. It is estimated almost half of Canada’s university students are currently being taught by low-paid sessional, adjunct and contract faculty.
It’s an exploitative model leading many potential researchers to pursue their careers outside of academia.
There is no research to suggest that universities will be immune to the kinds of industry disruption we’re seeing elsewhere. As a key driver of Montreal’s economy and society, let’s make sure our university ecosystem is ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.