A Panel Discussion on ‘Education in times of Covid: Opportunities and Challenges - Can Universities help shape the post Covid-19 world’ was organized by Amity University. The group of global experts deliberated on the subject, sharing their individual university experience and learning’s and also answered questions posed by the attendees.
Prof. (Dr.) Gurinder Singh, Group Vice Chancellor, Amity University welcomed the speakers and shared that COVID-19 has brought challenges on one hand but has also got the world together. He shared that educators around the globe are deliberating the opportunities and challenges in the post covid world the New Education Policy (NEP) by Indian Government announced recently is looking to bring the foreign universities in India.
Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University, Australia shared how universities in Australia are gearing up for the future. He stated that that they have been thinking about the learning in the past few months to keep for the future. He attributed the easy transition to online learning owing to the previous pedigree in the sphere. He averred that online learning has made them realize that one can transition to the mode with great pedagogy and quality content. However, he also added that one cannot fully replace the brick and mortar model and the future will have a hybrid model of education. The coming times will see real focus on education design, curriculum content and secure assessment. He further added that digital collaborations in terms of curriculum will be the future. Professor Martin shared that his core mission remains the same as understanding, creation and dissemination of knowledge but how it is implemented will change. He also stressed on the fact that the economic shock of Covid 19 will carry on for a long time. But curriculum creation and sharing would be easier through the online mode.
Dr. Carmen Z. Lamagna, Vice Chancellor, American International University, Bangladesh shared her views on the subject of the day. She averred that due to the pandemic, nothing is normal anymore and exposed the vulnerabilities of education. There was denial initially in Bangladesh about the closure of education institutions. However, her university was able to shift teaching and learning online in four days. She added that blended and hybrid learning is the future and her university has been experimenting in this sphere constantly using the best online tools. She also shared that for the transformation to happen it should be taken as a teaching and learning moment for both the teachers and the students. She stressed that online learning is stated for explosive future growth.
Dr. Pavel Novgorodov, First Vice-Rector for Strategy and External Affairs, Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management, Russia (NSUEM) stated that universities were in an emergency when the pandemic broke but were able to switch to the online learning mode within a week. He added that educational institutions remain closed as of now hybrid or combined learning will be used in the future. Individualization and optimization of education process has been shown in this pandemic driven time. He added that various different scenarios need to be developed for the future testing the digital capabilities of universities.
Professor Chuan-Chin Chiao, Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan said that his country is case free for the past three months and have been having normal teaching ever since. He added that this is a tough time for international students and they have been provided online content in his country as they haven’t been allowed to rejoin. He further added some of the courses still need in-class teaching and curriculum for the future has to be designed carefully. He also stressed that online teaching has made it easy for faculty from different places to teach.