University group seeks to inspire by pondering future scenarios

Geopolitical, technological and democratic challenges analysed by European University Association

In an attempt to inspire university leaders to develop their strategic thinking, the European University Association has published a paper extrapolating from geopolitical, technological and democratic changes, and considering the challenges and opportunities they may present to institutions in the future.

Pathways to the Future, published on 22 September, is a follow-up to the EUA’s 2030 vision paper, Universities Without Walls, which it released in February. That paper was developed during Covid-19 and said the pandemic “accelerated digitalisation, laid bare social disparities, and sharpened geopolitical tensions and rivalries”. It concluded that institutions needed to develop their own unique missions through strategic reflection on possible futures and institutions’ inherent capacity to deal with them.