Higher Education and the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 caused massive disruptions in the higher education sector across the world. The transition to online learning exposed the deep-rooted inequalities between countries, systems, institutions, and student groups in terms of the availability of information technology infrastructure, internet access and digital literacy, as well as prior training and experiences of faculty in online education. This volume explores various aspects of the impact of the pandemic on higher education management including how university administration responded to the crisis, and the role of local and national government agencies in academic support and higher education delivery. The key findings highlight the importance of better organisation and preparedness of higher education systems for future crises, and the need for a better dialogue between governments, higher education institutions and other stakeholders. The book calls for a collective response to address the digital divide among various groups and financial inequalities within and between the private and public universities, and to plan for the serious challenges that international students face during crisis situations.

Fulufhelo Netswera, DPhil (2005), Stellenbosch University is Professor of Development and Executive Dean Management Sciences at the Durban University of Technology. He writes on higher education management and policy, public governance, and philanthropy. He has a keen interest in the social justice role that higher education institutions.

Ayenachew A. Woldegiyorgis, PhD (2020), Boston College is a research associate at the Center for International Higher Education (CIHE), Boston College. His main areas of scholarship include higher education partnerships, internationalisation of higher education, higher education and development, scientific diaspora engagement, and policy and governance in higher education.

Tatiana Karabchuk is Associate Professor of Economic Sociology, Department of Government and Society, CHSS, UAE University. Research interests include cross-national comparative surveys, higher education research, labor market studies, youth studies, family and fertility, values and gender equality attitudes, happiness and subjective well-being, post-Soviet countries, Gulf countries, Europe, and Central Asian countries.