"rETHinking Universities of the Future"
What does the university of the future look like? ETH alumni and alumnae visited the exhibition in the main hall of ETH Zurich on 27 February 2023. Head of the Strategic Foresight Hub Chris Luebkeman and Johannes Heck, from the Office of the President, guided the group through the exhibits.
The participants were welcomed by Isabel Sauter, CEO of the ETH Alumni Association, which organized the tour together with ETH Strategic Foresight Hub. The exhibition "rETHinking Universities of the Future" presents various drivers that will influence the development of universities in the coming decade. Will its main role be restricted to the advancement of research? Will it turn into a startup factory with each graduate founding its own firm before finalizing his/her studies? Will it need to be a global solutions hub where addressing the most pressing challenges of humanity becomes the utmost priority? As the world evolves in its complexity, so do the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our universities globally.
Drivers of Change
This exhibition focuses on exploring the forces and long-term developments likely to shape universities in the coming decade. Such forces, also known as drivers of change, exert power over how universities will teach, research, and interact with the broader society in the years to come. To guide your experience and reflection, the exhibition is divided into six subcategories. These sub-categories will allow you to explore the social, technological, economic, environmental, political, and legal themes catalyzing change within global higher education. Please accept our invitation to actively interact with these topics and let us know what your desired university of the future might look like. Grab one of the voting dots at the back of the hall to express your view on which drivers might shape the future of higher education to the largest extent in the coming decade or two.
What is Strategic Foresight Hub?
ETH Zurich has established the Strategic Foresight Hub based within the Office of the President to deep dive into the intriguing territory of long-term trends and plausible futures. The Hub’s core mission is to advance a deeper and more profound understanding of how the university, our society and the world at large could evolve in the future. The intent is to look beyond the obvious. The Hub provides a neutral space, guidance as well as foresight tools and methodologies to all those interested in engaging with “what could be”.
There were lively discussions during the tour, which also continued at the apero that followed. Thanks to everyone for coming and sharing their thoughts about the drivers of change.
The exhibition runs until March 2, 2023.
Here are a few pictures from the event:
