University degrees are content-heavy, have high competency requirements and take years to complete. Many programmes are assessment-centric and overly focused on students attaining a scroll.
Perhaps it is time to look to Software as a Service (SaaS), a subscription-based software delivery model, for inspiration.
To ensure continued relevance, universities must evolve into service-oriented enterprises that deliver talent development as an outcome. This can be achieved through the University as a Service (UaaS) model within campuses.
UaaS takes varsities beyond mundane campus operations, turning them into environments where students gain experiential learning and opportunities to become entrepreneurs. At the same time, universities can forge different business engagement models as part of their future transformation.
Here are are some ways to implement UaaS on campus:
> Student support services
In a multicultural setting shaped by globalisation, every aspect of campus life must support students in navigating present and future challenges.
Support services should extend to holistic wellness, food provision, student-parent communication, physical and digital campus safety, parking, diversity, transportation, employment opportunities and personal skills development.
> Personalised learning
Strong pedagogy and collaborative cohort-based learning are integral to future programmes. This includes real-time feedback, the ability to revisit materials, and online tutoring platforms with marketplace agility.
The democratisation of learning, which is aligned with the projected global edtech boom, can help reduce the knowledge and skills divide.
With artificial intelligence, data analytics and adaptive learning technologies, personalised platforms become more responsive, with pathways tailored to diverse backgrounds.
> Industry-driven curricula
One of the biggest questions students ask is: why am I learning this? When linked to real-world applications or careers, learning gains purpose.
Education programmes should be designed with industry partners. “Industry-in-the-classroom” initiatives ensure graduates acquire relevant digital and soft skills for the future workforce.
Universities need to build dynamic ecosystems of research, learning and entrepreneurship by engaging organisations, practitioners and industry leaders.
This positions campuses as an open market for talent acquisition. Campuses become direct pipelines, with curricula serving to develop job-ready talent.
> Enterprising interventions
Regionally, there is a steep rise in informal employment in digital-first enterprises.
Universities, which can benefit from allowing students to set up small businesses like coffee shops, have pushed the entrepreneurship agenda.
Many incubators are also fertile ground for budding entrepreneurs. With a robust student population on hand to test new products and services, incubators on campus fit the co-working space culture.
With this in mind, universities should forge startup synergies by assisting student enterprises to level up from late-night musings to bona fide unicorns with strong financial backing.
> Consulting services
Consulting in various forms – for example, contract research and development aimed at industries keen on conducting studies or analysis, and in-house consulting in areas like network cyber health, energy management and prototype development using university laboratories or studios – can generate steady income for universities.
Universities can then become one-stop centres for accessing world-class facilities and the specialised knowledge of academic teams.
Subject matter experts can also serve on advisory or scientific boards, design policies and carry out impact assessments. This can be complemented by training services in emerging technologies, vocational areas, or other upskilling needs based on tailored solutions.
Universities should develop into trusted strategy consultants, excelling in diagnosing clients’ unique challenges and empowering them to achieve tangible business results.
Prof Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam is the chief innovation & enterprise officer at the APIIT Education Group and Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation, where he oversees eight research and innovation centres and the APU Startup Incubator. He also chairs the International Strategy Board for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (Engineering Council UK), leading over 26,000 international members, and serves as president of VRARA (USA) Malaysia Chapter and leader of VRARA APAC Higher Education. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
