Singapore did something to combat the rise of China and that is why they are where they are today. They’ve positioned themselves as a financial center and an academic center, but they are merely a pimple on ab muscles edge of Asia. Their rise is partly due to the fall of the 20th century superpowers of the USA, Europe and Japan. If these super powers weren’t drowning in debt then Singapore would not be as important on the planet as it is today. It’s very possible that Shanghai and Singapore will be the leading financial centers on the planet very soon.
Before it seems foreign universities flocked to create in Singapore, however now I do believe the flocking is to China. They’ve to flock far from the dying 20th century superpowers to survive. And the only real places to go are the far east, the near east, the center east, the eastern bloc and several out from the way locations that no body desires to go to. Now Russia might be another education center competing with China, or more likely they will be working together.
In the dying 20th century superpowers, universities lived of government funding and government guaranteed student loans. So the price of education kept increasing, and that’s priced them out from the market place. Now if you prefer an education it’s World Class University cheaper to leave the dying 20th century superpowers, except Germany, and go to the East. There you can learn the language for the future along with get yourself a degree. And if you play it right you can get a scholarship from their government, or your government as could be the case in NZ.
Then you can remain on and work in among the 21st century superpowers.
Now the greatest change going to mankind since the printing press or fire for that matter, is going to a university near you. And when it gets there, change could be the word. Will the universities of the 20th century upgrade or downsize, or go extinct to accommodate the brand new generation. The generation who have been brought up before a display, in cyber space. The generation who is able to get what they want at the click of a mouse, or the touch of a screen. Are they likely to go to a physical campus or an electronic campus? Are their internet friends who they’ve never met likely to influence them to go to a virtual campus. Or will their classmates from school drag them off to a real campus. Only time will tell.
MOOCs are an introduction to courses at a real university, but they are also an introduction to the virtual university world of the future. And they introduce the MOOCers from what they could do in cyber space. How many MOOCers will now attempt an on the web university in place of likely to a real campus. The change MOOCs are inflicting on the long run hasn’t got here yet, not surprising they’ve only been with us for a few years. Let them have time.
Now with the after affects of the 2020 pandemic still with us. Where lots of graduates still haven’t got jobs, maybe the mindset of enter into university at any cost is no further relevant. And cost could be the factor and so could be the major. So where can you get a top notch education at a price you can afford. Try likely to the East or cyberspace. It’s still cheaper to go to the East now, but that may change as the internet generation comes of age. Also as universities have priced themselves out from the market place and the half-life of what you learn at university is getting shorter, why go to university. All you have to is really a diploma in a certain subject and you could get a job. On top of that get the diploma while you are working. Not four years later and anything from $20,000 to over $100,000 in debt. And when companies accept MOOCs on a CV then education is free, anyway so far.
Peter Legrove is along the way of writing a new book. One of is own other books in education is about teaching your children to learn using phonics and Montessori sandpaper letters. This book is about MOOCs, what they are, how to complete them, and the result they could have on the continuing future of education as we all know it. This site is (c) Copyright Peter LeGrove 2020, All Rights Reserved
