How Universities Are Redesigning Curriculum for Future Skills
For decades, the "deal" of higher education was straightforward: you spent three or four years absorbing a specific
body of knowledge, graduated with a degree, and that knowledge carried you through a thirty-year career. But today,
that deal is changing. We are living in what many call the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where the "half-life" of a
learned skill is now estimated to be only five years.
For international students looking at the global stage, the stakes are even higher. In their search for new
employees, companies want more than a degree. They want a 'toolkit' for existing within an evolving global
marketplace. Education systems are evolving from 'knowledge collection' into 'capability builders'.
At
UniNewsletter , we track these shifts closely as they
influence both student decision-making and institutional strategy. So, how exactly is the education system preparing
for future jobs, and what does this mean for the next generation of graduates?
What Are Future Skills in Higher Education?
When it comes to future skills in higher education, what we really mean is more than just learning to code or how
to use one specific software package. The future of education includes all areas of education such as analytical
thinking, creativity, resilience, etc., as specified in the
World Economic
Forum's 2023 Future of Jobs Report .
Historically, universities have based their models on “hard knowledge.” Universities are now beginning to
transition away from this model toward what they refer to as “skills based education”, which focuses on teaching
students “how” to learn, “how” to address and solve complex problems, and “how” to adapt once the tools they had
available become no longer useful. Essentially, they are shifting from a model of “knowing that” to “knowing how.”
Why Universities Are Redesigning Curriculum
The primary driver is a growing "skills gap." A recent
McKinsey & Company study found that 87% of companies worldwide are either currently facing
a skills gap or expect to face one within a few years.
Universities are redesigning curricula because the traditional academic silo, where you only study history or only
study physics, doesn't reflect the modern workplace. Employers are now making it more obvious that even though
graduates may possess great grades from attaining their degree, many graduates do not possess the employability
skills in higher education (for example, cross-cultural communication or data literacy) that will allow them to
successfully transition from school to work.
Key Higher Education Curriculum Changes
We see several important trends emerging as institutions worldwide begin to alter the curricula of their
postsecondary programs.
Interdisciplinary Degrees: Students are being encouraged to pursue multiple areas of expertise, rather than
simply pursuing a single, narrow field of study. For instance, many students are being encouraged to combine
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence or Biology and Business.
Micro-credentials: Many universities now provide users with bite-sized Micro-Credentialing programs in
addition to the normal degree programs. This offers students an opportunity to obtain specific high-demand skill
sets that do not always coincide with their typical three-year degree program.
Experiential Learning: Classrooms are no longer limited to the physical space where you would typically
take a class. They have become classroom/labs, incubators for start-ups or community-based projects. As such,
experiential learning is considered a critical element for
reshaping future curriculum and meeting the requirements of skills needed in the workplace.
If you want to understand how these evolving trends will directly impact specific areas of the job market, consider
also reading our article on
The Power
of Soft Skills on your Job Market Success , which investigates further the human aspect of the changes in the
workforce that accompany these trends.
University Curriculum Innovation in Practice
Institutions are beginning to devise their own methods of implementing innovative curriculum within the university.
For instance,
Northeastern University has developed its own leadership
position within "co-op" education, whereby the student alternates semesters of study with employment on a full-time
basis. Likewise,
Arizona State University is well known for how it has executed a
new version of a university curriculum innovation through the use of AI-driven personalised learning plans that
enable students to learn and master the material at their own pace.
These institutions do much more than just offer classes in specific subjects. They are creating an innovative
future ready education. They recognize that in an age where software updates take place every fifteen days, a
traditional fifteen-week academic schedule may no longer make sense.
How Universities Are Preparing Students for Future Jobs
Preparation now starts with industry integration. Many top-tier universities have "industry advisory boards" that
review their curriculum every year. If a major tech company says, "We aren't seeing enough cloud security knowledge
in your graduates," the university updates the course immediately.
Preparing for the jobs of the future is now a priority for universities preparing international students. Preparing
international students for the
top challenges facing universities regarding entering new recruitment markets and
understanding the value of the diverse perspectives offered by students.
Role of Technology in Curriculum Redesign
Technology isn't just a subject to be studied; it’s the medium through which education is delivered. Virtual
Reality (VR) is being used in medical schools for surgery simulation, and data analytics is being used by professors
to identify which students are struggling before they even fail a test.
There is also a growing need for a change in how we teach. Automation has taken many of the jobs that used to be
covered by workers and will continue to do so. Universities are already working to enhance areas where robots cannot
compete with humans, such as empathy, judgment of ethical standards and complex negotiations. The ultimate goal of
the curriculum redesign for future skill sets will be to develop a balance between "soft" and "hard" skills.
Benefits of Future-Ready Education for Students
When a student undergoes a future-ready education, they graduate with more than just a piece of paper. They
graduate with a portfolio.
Ability to adapt to change.
Ability to work with remote teams, employed in multiple locations digitally.
Digital Fluency: They don't just use tech; they understand its implications.
Institutions are even using
localized digital campaigns to help win over global students by highlighting these exact
modern benefits, showing that they understand the modern student's need for ROI.
Challenges in Redesigning University Curriculum
Academia has been historically slow to adjust its approach to teaching and learning. For example, many institutions
use tenure tracks; there are accreditation requirements and other bureaucratic obstacles that can keep a school from
changing their curriculum rapidly. Additionally, many schools have trouble negotiating between vocational training
(which gives students specific job skills) and liberal arts (which provides students with critical thinking skills).
The challenge for higher education is to continue providing students an opportunity to gain a deep philosophical
understanding of the world through a university education, while also providing students with practical skills
necessary to repay loans after graduation.
The Future of Higher Education Curriculum
In the future, we likely will see more of a convergence between "work" and "school"; we will see things like
lifelong subscription to universities or colleges so that Alumni can take courses or get updated skills within a few
years of graduating and thus, create an ongoing cycle of university curriculum innovation through the use of
continuing education programs.
UNESCO in their report, "The Futures of
Education" stated how we view and think of education must change. "Education" has been viewed as something
that is for the benefit of the individual. Consequently, we will witness an increase in localised custom made
curriculum, greater emphasis placed on global topics and sustainability, and enhanced social outcomes.
Conclusion
The higher education sector is evolving and institutions of higher education are moving towards an agile,
skills-based education model. The students who will be successful in this model are those who will be lifelong
learners.
As students and parents, it is important to realize that there are two main things to consider when choosing a
university - its rankings and its partnerships. You should also consider how they use technology and how they help
you transition from the classroom to the workforce. To learn more about how universities are changing their
strategies, please visit our dedicated
universities page .
While we do not know what the future of the job market will be, obtaining an education that prepares you for the
future is the best way to prepare yourself to become a leader no matter what happens in your life.
26-05-2023
American University of Ras Al Khaimah 
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