Leadership | Patrick Blessinger

Education 4.0 and its Key Role in Sustainable Development

This article first appeared in University World News Education 4.0 and its key role in sustainable development Patrick Blessinger, Ahmad Samarji and Haydeé Ramírez Lozada Since the First Industrial Revolution (circa 1800), humanity has experienced several major waves of political, economic, social, technological, and environmental development. These major waves of development have come to be termed 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 as a way of classifying the major turning points since the First Industrial Revolution. Many people believe that the world is now experiencing a fourth wave (4.0) of development. Thus, in the fourth wave, Education 4.0 coincides with Globalisation 4.0, Industry 4.0, Society 4.0, Web 4.0, and Environment 4.0. This broad system of classification can serve as a useful mental model to bring clarity to the key factors driving global development. Globalisation 4.0 is characterised by hyper-connectivity and the rapid (or instantaneous) movement of goods, capital, energy, people, and information as a result of [...]

Patrick Blessinger2022-07-12T22:49:07+00:00July 12, 2022|Tags: Ahmad Samarji, Basic Education, Haydeé Ramírez Lozada, Higher Education, Leadership, Sustainable Development, V8A8|

What universities can do to mainstream sustainable development

What universities can do to mainstream sustainable development Patrick Blessinger and Barbara Cozza Note: This article first appeared in the December 2021 issue (Vol. 26 No. 2) of IAU Horizons. By and large, human beliefs, attitudes and mindsets drive human behaviours. Thus, the future of humanity, and the planet they inhabit, will ultimately depend on humanity’s ability to adopt a sustainability mindset in order to solve the most intractable issues of our time (for example, poverty, illiteracy, species extinction, resource depletion, climate change). Within this context, higher education, as a catalyst for economic and social progress, can and should lead the world to achieve a sustainable future with the support of the UN framework Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals. The future of humanity, and the planet they inhabit, will ultimately depend on humanity’s ability to adopt a sustainability mindset in order to solve the most intractable issues of our time. Ultimately, [...]

Patrick Blessinger2022-02-25T23:41:39+00:00December 11, 2021|Tags: Barbara Cozza, Higher Education, Leadership, Patrick Blessinger, Sustainable Development, V7A4|

Humanising higher education via inclusive leadership

The demand for higher education of all types is at an all-time high. As the world becomes more integrated and interdependent through the processes of globalisation and internationalisation and more driven by and dependent on advanced knowledge, skills and competencies, lifelong learning has not only become a necessity for economic development and social progress, but it is now recognised as a human right.

Patrick Blessinger2019-04-27T15:49:01+00:00February 24, 2019|Tags: Enakshi Sengupta, Inclusion, Leadership, Patrick Blessinger, Shai Reshef, University World News, V6A1|

How to make the most of international HE partnerships

How to make the most of international HE partnerships Patrick Blessinger and Barbara Cozza St. John's University (NYC) and International HETL Association University partnerships have become powerful vehicles for promoting civic and democratic engagement, cultivating international economic development and fostering teacher and school system improvement, among other aims. A university partnership is a relationship between a university and other groups where partners agree to collaborate in order to advance common interests. In the current era of globalisation and internationalisation, partnerships are becoming more widespread and increasingly global in scale and strategic in focus. Partnerships allow partners to minimise the potential risks associated with internationalisation and better use limited resources. As such, strategic partnerships are often part of an institution’s broader internationalisation strategy. Motivations and benefits University partnerships provide multiple benefits for partners. In the book series, University Partnerships, Barbara Cozza and I, along with several educational scholars, explore the different factors impacting international [...]