Digital-Age Innovation in Higher Education recounts the creation, development, and growth of an innovation unit within a major university.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a forceful reminder that education plays an important role in delivering not just academic learning, but also in supporting physical and emotional well-being. Balancing traditional “book learning” with broader social and personal development means new roles for schools and education more generally.

The European higher education sector is moving online, but to what extent? Are the digital disruptions seen in other sectors of relevance for both academics and management in higher education? How far are we from fully seizing the opportunities that an online transition could offer? This insightful book presents a broad perspective on existing academic practices, and discusses how and where the move online has been successful, and the lessons that can be learned.

Competitive strategies and higher education-industry collaboration policies are playing a vital role in fostering the reputation and international rankings of higher education institutions. The positive impact of these policies may best be observed in the economic and social outputs of many countries such as the USA, Singapore, South Korea, and European Union (EU) countries such as Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. However, the number of academic publications that specifically concentrate on the impact of these policies on higher education institutions and authorities remains relatively limited. University-Industry Collaboration Strategies in the Digital Era is an essential research publication that provides comprehensive research on competitive strategies for higher education institutions that will allow them to forge beneficial partnerships with industries that will have a significant impact on their success. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as human resource management, network planning, and institutional structure, this book is ideal for administrators, education professionals, academicians, researchers, policymakers, and students.

This open access collection examines how higher education responds to the demands of the automation economy and the fourth industrial revolution. Considering significant trends in how people are learning, coupled with the ways in which different higher education institutions and education stakeholders are implementing adaptations, it looks at new programs and technological advances that are changing how and why we teach and learn. The book addresses trends in liberal arts integration of STEM innovations, the changing role of libraries in the digital age, global trends in youth mobility, and the development of lifelong learning programs. This is coupled with case study assessments of the various ways China, Singapore, South Africa and Costa Rica are preparing their populations for significant shifts in labour market demands – shifts that are already underway. Offering examples of new frameworks in which collaboration between government, industry, and higher education institutions can prevent lagging behind in this fast changing environment, this book is a key read for anyone wanting to understand how the world should respond to the radical technological shifts underway on the frontline of higher education.

Digital-Age Innovation in Higher Education recounts the creation, development, and growth of an innovation unit within a major university. This single case study follows the development of the EdLab at the Gottesman Libraries of Teachers College, Columbia University, which was charged with developing new services and products at a time when digital technologies were markedly beginning to impact the sector. The major steps taken – recruiting staff in key skill areas, developing projects, collaborating across organizational lines, securing resources, delivering new services, and more – are covered in detail, illustrating the opportunities and challenges presented by innovation mandates in long-established organizations with stable operations and traditional academic values and practices.