The past, present, and future of higher education and science is a complex and multifaceted topic that is subject to various trends, developmental patterns, and uncertainties. As the past significantly shapes the present, this perspective is widely discussed and analysed across the social sciences. Yet the notion that the present contains as much “future” as “past” is less well understood, despite its impact on social and scientific practices across various domains. Thus, the theme of the CHER 2024 conference encourages participants to reflect on their perspectives on time, perhaps viewing the future(s) not only as a temporal dimension but also as a socially constructed analytical category and governance tool. We invite explorations of how conceptualisations of the future shape and (re)define higher education and science in the short, medium, and long terms. While challenging to (correctly) anticipate future developments, we identify several key themes and potential directions that deserve discussion:

The expanding influence of digitalisation, coupled with the continuous growth of technological advancements across various societal sectors, brings about profound changes to higher education and labor markets. Consequently, there is a pressing need to redefine teaching and learning models to adjust and broaden students’ skills portfolios and offer more flexible learning options to cater to diverse learner needs. As higher education enrollments and international student mobility continue to rise, challenges of widening participation, sustainable funding models, and quality assurance mechanisms will continue to reshape higher education alongside the potential to deepen global disparities and inequalities across systems, despite the persistence of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at various levels.

The emergence of big data, data sharing, and open access will continue to shape collaboration and competition patterns as well as democratise access to scientific research and educational resources, alongside global stratification. As the funding of higher education and science has grown to limits in numerous contexts, emergent models of cooperation across levels will keep reinforcing regionalisation and globalisation developments. As populist and new nationalist movements question science’s legitimacy and authority, challenges to academic freedom escalate. The climate crisis urges the development of alternative solutions, with universities occupying a central position in shaping educational content for sustainability and climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as in supplying critical evidence to inform and orient social and political action. These few examples emphasize some of the current trends and anticipated challenges that place (intense) pressure on higher education and demand resolutions from within, even though, as we have learned from recent financial crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and wars, the future is always uncertain.

Moreover, the idea of future(s) has permeated policymaking as often seen in (supra)national action plans for the upcoming years or decades, the establishment of (inter)national organisations to ponder and predict the future, or even international meetings to redefine agendas and steer the directions in policymaking and practice.

Looking at the future as a temporal dimension, a social category, and a governance tool that shapes current politics and society also opens up opportunities to imagine not only one best pathway but a multitude of possible futures. Although hard to break free of path dependencies and myriad institutionalised global, national, and local scripts of action, understanding the “future” as such a category also facilitates critical questioning. Attempts to certify what is ontologically uncertain provide opportunities for imaginaries and concrete alternatives.

We invite both theoretical and empirical contributions that offer insights into the future(s) across key domains: higher education, research and innovation, third mission and impact, as well as governance and internationalisation. While we offer some guiding questions for each area below, these are certainly not exhaustive, and we strongly encourage the exploration of other research questions or topics. 

Conference Format

As in previous years, the conference will be organised in distinct streams, each focusing on specific thematic areas, including an open stream dedicated to research questions or topics less aligned with the overarching conference theme. We welcome participants to engage in enriching interactions and knowledge sharing, by participating in poster sessions and workshops. Further details about opportunities to contribute will be accessible via our conference website.