Round table on the role of the university in times of social unrest and uncertainty

The starting point for the discussion, which was moderated by Professor Ksenija Vidmar Horvat and Professor Ivan Svetlik, was the 2021 UNESCO report ‘Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education’, which addresses the need for a new contract between society and education. Participants highlighted some of the challenges faced by universities today, such as artificial intelligence, and stressed the ever-greater need for interdisciplinarity, which was key to understanding the complexity of contemporary society. They agreed on the needs for a reformulation of the role of the university, which had to go beyond that of simply imparting knowledge; rather, they needed to become active factors in social change and involve themselves in the central discussions about the world today, all the while maintaining their autonomy and a spirit of critical reflection.

The round table was attended by Professor Blagoj Ristevski, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Technologies at the University St Clement Ohridski Bitola, North Macedonia; Professor Vlatko Ilić from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at the University of the Arts in Belgrade; Professor Gazela Pudar Draško, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade; and Professor Enita Nakaš, Vice-Dean of the University of Sarajevo.

Professor Blagoj Ristevski, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Technologies at the University St Clement Ohridski Bitola, highlighted the need for universities to adapt to the rapid technological changes taking place, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence: ‘Universities must prepare students for the professions of the future and help them develop the skills they will need in a constantly changing world.’ He also highlighted the need for interdisciplinary programmes and research capable of addressing the ever-more-complex challenges faced by today’s society.

Professor Ksenija Vidmar Horvat, a Vice-Rector at the University of Ljubljana, stressed the urgency of the need for universities to become involved in contemporary discussions, even those that polarised the public, since we all needed to work together. The academic sphere frequently avoids hot, problematic topics, and we should ask ourselves why, particularly given the ongoing discussions about academic freedom. How can universities communicate effectively with the outside world and gain public trust, especially at a time when quick (and false) information is so highly prized?

Professor Enita Nakaš, Vice-Rector of the University of Sarajevo, was critical of the Bologna reforms. In her opinion, they had not led to a widening of horizons, with universities currently focusing too heavily on skills and short-term goals. ‘The Bologna reforms have not produced the desired results. We talk often of critical thinking, but too little about critical action. Gen Z expects more. It wants action, not just discussion,’ she said. She recalled the time of the pandemic, when universities failed to argue its corner, but instead remained passive. Another of the problems was, according to Professor Nakaš, that there was a lack of a clearly defined audience or a lack of knowledge on the part of listeners, which made communication doubly difficult. ‘We are not speaking the same language,’ she said. ‘This deepens the differences in understanding for universities that are already not being listened to.’

Professor Gazela Pudar Draško, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade, drew attention to three key concepts: critical thinking, dialogue and universality. ‘The Bologna reforms have led to the reproduction of knowledge rather than to in-depth thinking,’ she said, adding that the humanities and social sciences were often regarded as less useful than the technical and natural sciences. This was leading to important values being lost from the education system. ‘The humanities and social sciences are key to expanding students’ horizons. It is important for students to learn how to think, argue and enter into respectful dialogue with others. Moreover, universities must not forget their role in local and global communities.’ Professor Pudar Draško also highlighted the fall in credibility suffered by universities and educational institutions, which had to rethink their social role and position themselves more visibly within the social hierarchy.

‘The so-called “third mission” of universities, which includes cooperating with external partners and communities, has to become an integral part of traditional education and research,’ said Professor Ivan Svetlik. ‘If they are to be successful, universities must attract equal and qualified partners, and develop new modes of cooperation.’ In his opinion, universities paid too little attention to the consequences and side-effects of new technologies, and were also gradually losing their influence as centres of knowledge, as they were educating people who lived by different values. He warned that there was a lack of communication between different cultures, civilisations and the still-dominant Western European perspective advocated by universities.

Professor Vlatko Ilić from the University of the Arts in Belgrade drew attention to the issue of the loss of university autonomy and the growing need for universities that educated not only for the labour market but aimed to foster an understanding of the world in which we lived. ‘The future of artificial intelligence is not the main issue. A more important one is what universities contribute to wider knowledge and why educational development only goes one way,’ he said.

The honorary patron of the ‘University in a Time of Social (Dis)Order: Regional Perspectives’ round table was the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO.

Project financed by the Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the European Union (NextGenerationEU).