The Futurę of the University: Reasonable Predictions, Hoped-for Reforms, orTechnological Possibilities?

Abstract

The author seeks to answer the question: what will the university of the future be like? In the introduction he outlines the assumptions resulting from three different approaches taken in the debate on the university, approaches which in effect give different answers. These approaches are rational prediction, hoped-for reform and technical possibilities. The main theses of the conventional reform of the university result from the rational approach; in turn, the technical possibilities approach indicates growth chances of the university resulting from the application of new technologies and teaching techniques. After a critical analysis of each of these approaches, the author presents the probable direction of changes in the various areas of the university’s activities and answers the questions: what will the future programmes and teaching content be like, how ought these programmes to be carried out by teachers and students and who should be taught, for how long, in what scope and how open should higher studies be in the future.