The university_vision project has been about developing a set of scenarios to help change the narrative around the future of universities.
Explore the scenarios
The easiest way to find out about our scenarios is to watch our animation below.
You can read more about each of the four scenarios by clicking each of the images below or by downloading the booklet.
Scenario A: uni_divide
Scenario B: uni_public
Scenario C:
uni_wifi
Scenario D: uni_market
A new narrative
university_vision is allowing us to challenge the concept of what universities are for and the shape that they will take in 2025 and beyond. To ensure the scenarios are as comprehensive as they can be we have designed the university_vision process to be inclusive and collaborative, stretching traditional scenario planning to include a large number of views and opinions through high-level workshops, one-to-one meetings and the use of social media.
Why scenario planning?
Scenario planning is a valuable tool for understanding the factors that may affect the future, by exploring possibilities and interactions within different social, economic and political environments. It is not a process to predict the future, rather it is about identifying different and extreme scenarios that can better inform planning and development.
To understand the potential future environment universities might face we explored the major drivers of change that could affect them. The drivers were grouped under social, technological, economic, environmental and political themes.
From these drivers we selected the two that we saw as having the biggest impact on universities. These are: an economic driver, based on a contracting versus a growing economy, and; a social driver, exploring competitive versus collaborative natures. The drivers were then set on two axes upon which four scenarios were created in collaboration with vice-chancellors, academics, think tanks and business leaders.
The scenarios are credible and challenging, yet extreme portraits of the future: hypothetical possibilities, based on robust qualitative research, to challenge orthodox assumptions about the future.
Join the debate
We would love to hear your views.
university_vision is about getting input from as many people as possible. We want to build a picture of the future that draws on experts and experience from people right across society, education, business and beyond.
You can submit responses to the scenarios by using the comment boxes at the bottom of each scenario.
