Institutional strategy has rendered the Arizona State University most innovative, socially responsive and sustainable

Published On: 17 October 2024|

The green economy offers tremendous potential, especially in Africa, where it is projected to generate 100 million new and enhanced job opportunities across the continent by the year 2050.

Although Africa contributes a mere 3% to the global carbon emissions, it stands poised to spearhead global decarbonisation efforts and seize opportunities in growing green sectors. The continent’s abundant natural resources, vast potential for renewable energy and being  home to the world’s fastest-growing labour force render Africa well-positioned to bypass traditional carbon-heavy infrastructure and move directly towards sustainable energy solutions.

In the coming five years alone, it is anticipated that Africa could see as many as 3.3 million jobs emerge within sustainability-focused value chains. Importantly, experts estimate that 40% of these roles will require specialised and advanced skills, underscoring the urgent need for targeted educational and training programmes. 

This was the message from Ms Maria Toshkova (below), Director: Global Partnerships at the Arizona State University’s University Design Institute (UDI). ASU is the largest public university campus in the United States (US), with 80 000 students on its main campus in Phoenix,  and a total of 180 000 students across campuses and online. ASU has also been ranked number one in innovation in the US over the last 10 years, ahead of  the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford. 

Toshkova was speaking to the sub-theme Towards an Innovative Institutional Strategy, Appropriate Resource and Dynamic People Planning for a Sustainable and Successful Future in the University at Universities South Africa’s 3rd Higher Education Conference that concluded on 11 October, themed “The Future of the University”. This was a Leadership and Management Strategy Group’s breakaway session.

She shared valuable insights on global trends in higher education that UDI are monitoring — shaped by climate change, rapid adoption of advanced technologies, increasing demands for innovation and the critical role of strategic partnerships in shaping the future of higher education.

“Our world is increasingly affected by rapid technological advances and significant economic and environmental changes. Universities are pivotal in addressing these challenges. From reducing inequality to combating climate change – we are  key players in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” she reiterated, stating that the recent UN Summit of the Future, held in New York, highlighted the urgent need for universities to reimagine their roles.

“Experts concluded that we are not visible enough and our capacity to drastically scale global efforts is currently underutilised. Our role is more important than ever to help prepare a workforce that is skilled but also versatile enough to drive and benefit from this projected growth,” she said.

Universities’ challenges

Toshkova mentioned universities’ current major challenges as economic pressures stemming from three sources expounded on below. 

“In order to manage costs, it is important for universities to maximise their current assets and integrate new technologies to improve productivity. For example, utilising the university’s real estate and physical assets strategically to facilitate partnerships and create innovative learning environments has become a go-to strategy of innovative universities in the US,” she explained.

Partnerships and interdisciplinarity essential for societal impact

She mentioned partnerships as another vital prerequisite for increased social and economic impact. 

“They extend our reach, amplify our impact and provide the resilience needed to navigate financial uncertainties. Creative arrangements with government and private partners to use existing university assets have allowed ASU to generate revenue and reduce costs while also offering students exciting opportunities to gain real-world work experience while studying.

“Globally, we are seeing that universities cannot operate any longer as isolated entities if we want to increase societal impact. And there is ever more need for research that is interdisciplinary and has greater societal impact. There is significant value in building networks with other universities, the private sector and donors to achieve that.

“Universities in the US have a number of companies operating adjacent to campuses. This  has allowed for research and development collaborations, and students to gain firsthand experience working with the companies. It also allows universities to generate revenue from the real estate. At ASU, we have partnered with Starbucks, Uber and Adidas to allow their workers access to quality education, helping us reduce financial burden on students and generating financial resources for the university,” Toshkova said.

She believes as universities position themselves for greater society-scale impact, creating unique, technologically enhanced learning environments can attract additional resources and support, enabling further investments in innovation.

“Universities are also poised to benefit from technology to enable institutional resilience. UDI has been working with the MasterCard Foundation at 10 public and private universities in Africa since the since CoViD-19 pandemic forced institutions to rethink the way they could reach learners. This was to enhance educational accessibility and student success through advanced technology.”

Phase 1 learnings from the above collaboration:

  • Government and academic leaders are beginning to align e-learning policies that may increase institutional ability to scale and transform.
  • Often public institutions’ goals and measurements are tied to country plans around economic development and workforce development.
  • In a post-CoViD environment, many universities are revisiting their approach to e-learning. As e-learning was not originally in most of their strategic plans, they are now working to understand how to prioritise funding and allocate resources to sustain diversity in teaching and learning approaches.
  • Globally, there is an absence of a common framework and language to discuss the complexity of building online programmes.
  • Faculty, staff and student leaders need training and equipment to champion e-learning at all levels.

She said that Phase 2 of the programme, currently underway, entails universities developing transformation roadmaps to identify what they need to become technology enabled resilient institutions – i.e. leveraging technology beyond teaching and learning. “What is powerful about our model is that partner institutions will learn from one another while co-creating most relevant solutions.  They could also be role models for other institutions on the continent.”

Toshkova believes that with AI burgeoning, serious inequalities could be created if people and countries do not catch up with those who are rapidly embracing it.

UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited research report, which came out recently, looked at the challenges and opportunities that young people face to thrive in a world of work powered by GenAI. The report presented four key recommendations:

  • Urgently mitigate the digital divide.
  • Develop free foundational GenAI courses for youth worldwide.
  • Deploy GenAI skilling programmes at scale.
  • Invest in developing young people’s uniquely human skills.

“We at ASU are integrating AI as a tool to help students succeed, to help teachers be more efficient and effective and also to improve our organisational resilience. 

“Technological advancements are vitally important yet can reinforce inequalities stemming from a digital divide,” Toshkova said.

Embracing sustainability

Toshkova said that many universities have the opportunity to embrace sustainability goals and to help their communities: “We at ASU have had a long journey over the last 20 years. The School of Sustainability at ASU was the first in the US in 2006 and ASU achieved carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2019, five years ahead of its goals. This alignment has been crucial for securing funding and support from government and private partners concerned with sustainable practices.”  

She believes public-private partnerships are critical for extending the reach and depth of educational and societal contributions far beyond what any single institution could achieve alone. They harness collective expertise and resources and are catalysts for continuous innovation, particularly in the realms of sustainability and technology adoption.

“We can also offer more scholarships, fund more research projects and provide a wider range of learning tools and environments that are rich in diversity and practicality. Partnerships help us be resilient and anticipate change. It is important to have university leadership that looks particularly at driving partnerships for institutional resilience, student success, and societal impact,” she believes. 

Toshkova shared the ASU’s over-20-year model, which demonstrates the institution’s transformational approach to education, community engagement and sustainability. She says this has transformed ASU from being just another educational institution 20 years ago to becoming a leader in global educational innovation. 

“Our charter does not just state our mission – it actively shapes every facet of our community and operational strategy. It provides clarity that ensures that everyone within ASU, as well as our partners, are aligned and moving forward with a shared purpose. 

“ASU is dedicated to solving real-world problems, fostering a culture where academic research and initiatives directly contribute to societal well-being. This approach has enhanced our community’s economic resilience and positioned us as a player in global discussions on sustainable development. 

“From our focus on access we have expanded from 50 000 to 181 000 learners – and have shifted our focus from students to learners. This paradigm shift reflects our broader vision that learning is a lifelong process, happening everywhere and at every stage of life.

“Resource diversification has been key in our financial strategy. Operating as a public university with less than 10% of our budget funded by the state, we have creatively leveraged existing assets and developed new pathways to acquire resources. Financial agility allows us to sustain our growth and innovation without being overly reliant on state funding,” she concluded.

Janine Greenleaf Walker  is a contract writer for Universities South Africa.