"What does Hunt Report mean for students - 10 years from now?" - More focus on the future needed - says DCU President, Brian MacCraith
10 January 2011

"What will lecture theatres look like ten years from now -- and will they even exist? What should tomorrow's students and parents expect?" says Dublin City University President, Professor Brian MacCraith. "As educators of tomorrow's workforce we are responsible for preparing our students for a future that will be more global and more 'virtual'. The Hunt Report did not address this."

The report, which sets out a national strategy for higher education in Ireland and makes a number of recommendations, will be launched officially tomorrow (Tuesday 11th January). "But there are gaps", says MacCraith

"What is missing "he says "is an overall vision of the future ten years from now. The lecture rooms of 2020 will look very different in Ireland and overseas and the working landscape is also changing dramatically. We are facing an unpredictable but very exciting future - and we need to embrace this with an ambitious and inspiring vision of higher education."

"While there are many good things in the report, I am surprised that there is very little on the subject of e-learning and on-line education. Students in Ireland are already using technology in so many ways and this is significantly affecting the way they learn. E-learning will also open up many more doors to new types of students - mature, overseas, disabled, part-time and this a great opportunity for all of us.

"At DCU, distance and on-line learning has always been a very high priority and we have more recently established The Virtual Learning Group, a steering group which will continue to drive this further and look at how we can develop the concept of the global, virtual lecture theatre- which is very exciting and challenging" says MacCraith.

"We specifically welcome the emphasis in the report on the importance of industry engagement, which we believe is crucial and elementary. The nature of the work environment is changing rapidly. Employers need graduates to be more adaptable, more innovative and more engaged in order to cope with a changing landscape, and we welcome the report's attention to this" says MacCraith.

"The report also provides a much needed strategic framework for Higher Education at a critical time in Ireland's history but there are some gaps" says Professor MacCraith.

"Importantly, how does the report ultimately impact the student? Right now students and their parents are sitting in homes all over Ireland making difficult CAO choices. We now have a responsibility to articulate this new Higher Education vision to these students. We need to help them make the right kind of choices for a changing university environment and a different kind of workplace. And this support and guidance needs to start from the moment they enter secondary school."

"In addition, we must not ignore the international environment. It is critical that we globalize the educational experience of our students who ultimately have to compete in a world market. We have to be more international in our outlook by developing genuine alliances with similar-minded universities overseas -- making sure our research focuses on problems that are of global interest, and giving our staff and students more exposure to international teaching and learning."

Finally, MacCraith said: "There are a number of important recommendations highlighted in the report but what is crucial now is the implementation process -- this is critical to its success. What are the key priorities and will this happen quickly? It is essential that it does."