Research Center Events

The Future of Higher Education in a Digital Age

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The status quo is not an option…we’re in for a radical restructuring of higher education. --President John Sexton
On November 20, Adam Brandenburger, Vice Dean for Innovation; Vasant Dhar, Professor and Chair of Stern’s IOMS group and Co-director of Stern’s Center for Business Analytics; Arun Sundararajan, Professor of Information, Operations and Management Sciences and NEC Faculty Fellow; and Mandy Osborne, with the Center for Business Analytics, hosted a symposium, The Future of Higher Education in a Digital Age. They convened thought leaders from the higher education, business and venture capital sectors for a provocative conversation about the ongoing transformation of higher education, emerging business models, and broader societal implications. Stern’s Center for Business Analytics and AIG sponsored the event.

The speakers asserted provocations and gave arguments in a Ted-like talk style, each related to three large broad questions designed to spark conversation, debate and discussion.

The Future of Higher Education in a Digital Age intro
NYU Stern’s Adam Brandenburger, Vasant Dhar and Arun Sundararajan welcome the group.

The Future of Higher Education in a Digital Age panel1
John Sexton, President, NYU; Andre Dua, Director, McKinsey & Company; Zach Sims, Co-founder, Codeacademy; Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School; and Vasant Dhar (moderator) debate what the future of higher education will look like. Will it be good for society?”

The Future of Higher Education in a Digital Age panel2
Ashwinn Krishnaswamy (BS 2013), Founder, Point; Richard Matasar, VP for University Enterprise Initiatives, NYU; Brad Hargreaves, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, General Assembly; Albert Wenger, Partner, Union Square Ventures; and Vasant Dhar (co-moderator) share viewpoints on whether universities provide good value for money today. What are the gaps in the higher education ecosystem, and who will fill them?

The Future of Higher Education in a Digital Age panel3
Clay Shirky, Professor, NYU ITP; Michael Karjanaprakorn, Founder and CEO, Skillshare; Michael Staton, Partner, Learn Capital; Lynne O’Brien, Associate Vice Provost for Digital and Online Education Initiatives, Duke University; and Arun Sundararajan (moderator) predict what the business model of universities will look like in the future. Where in the value chain does incumbant and entrant advantage lie?

Students Share their Perspectives on the Future of Higher Education. Watch the video: