How the Digital Era Is Nudging Universities to Adopt a B2B Model | Innovation - Knowledge@Wharton

The traditional education ecosystem needs a mindset change to prepare for the new imperative of lifelong learning, says Infosys President Ravi Kumar. 

Photo: Knowledge@Wharton

The education space is witnessing dramatic shifts in how it engages with students and the employers that hire these students. A continuum of lifelong learning has become the new imperative, and educational institutions are moving from their traditional B2C model to adopt a B2B model, says Ravi Kumar, president at the global IT services firm Infosys. He advises educators to partner with corporations to re-skill people and bring the workforce up to speed with the changing needs of the workplace.

Here, Kumar emphasizes the importance of digital technology as the great leveler, and the importance of experiential and componentized learning “just in time” to supplement the traditional “just in case” learning that schools provide to prepare students for all the things they may need — just in case — once they enter the workforce. Community colleges and educational institutions, in emerging nations, could play a vital role in making such education accessible to underserved populations, he says. In a previous interview with Knowledge@Wharton about the future of work, he noted, “Universities are not yet paranoid about ed-tech companies. The day that paranoia sets, they will be compelled to make that much needed switch in approach.”

An edited transcript of the conversation follows.
Read more...

Source: Knowledge@Wharton