Academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and public accountability in the context of the democratisation and transformation of education

The attempts to transform universities in South Africa have focused on the discourse of academic freedom, institutional autonomy and public accountability as enablers of transformation. As such, academic freedom, institutional autonomy and public accountability are about redressing past injustices because the legacy of the past has implications within the context of the democratisation and transformation of higher education in South Africa. However, there is not enough focus on knowledge production, which is critical in the transformation of universities such that scholars are at liberty to draw from the well of knowledge from where they are standing without being hamstrung by already existing theories and concepts to seek validation. The article argues that African philosophies have a critical role to play in the transformation of universities. It therefore uses the philosophy of ubuntu as an example to show the ethical existence of African people that should anchor African universities to reflect the ethos of the communities they serve. Ubuntu thus provides a possibility for universities to cease being ivory towers and begin to forge a symbiotic relationship with their communities. This shows the importance of universities learning from communities and, in turn, using such learnt knowledge to develop theories that solve societal problems before that knowledge is transported to solve the world’s challenges. Universities in Africa must therefore become true to African epistemologies where thinkers think from and for communities. The article concludes by arguing that academic freedom, institutional autonomy and public accountability should be anchored in ubuntu to produce graduates that will be of service to humanity. Keywords: transformation, ubuntu, academic freedom, accountability, institutional autonomy, Afrcan epistemologies

The reasons, mechanisms and consequences of transformations of higher electrical engineering education in Russia are considered. The transformations are analyzed in socio-historical and economic aspects. Extensive mechanisms of higher education transformations connected with a growing number of students and higher schools, and with the fact that new classes and strata of the society are involved in education are considered along with intensive mechanisms related to reformatting the education system itself: joining the Bologna Process or commencing the education digitalization process. The effect the economic factors have on the transformation of education under the conditions of increasing the expenditures for it (during the Nicholas and Stalin rises) and reducing them in the 1990s is pointed out. The bureaucratization and its influence on the electrical education environment are specially noted. The transformations of education in the 21st century and, above all, its digitalization are subjected to a special analysis. The US practices of analyzing higher education are given. It is concluded that the transformations of higher education are natural stages and mechanisms of its development.

Over 36 years of implementing renovation and integration, Vietnamese higher education has achieved important results, contributing to the socio-economic development of Vietnam. From the philosophical approach, social philosophy, philosophy of education, through the research and analysis of documents of previous studies and other related documents, the article analyzes and clarifies the basic content related to digital transformation in higher education in Vietnam today. The result shows that to adapt to the changes and impacts of science and technology and the 4.0 industrial revolution, the Government of Vietnam has determined to develop digital transformation in general and higher education in particular. The process of applying digital transformation in higher education in the current stage of Vietnam today also encounters barriers and challenges, including Conditions for ensuring the quality and the quality of the assessment; The process of completing legal documents and internal regulations of higher education institutions; Habits of educational administrators, lecturers, and employees in higher education institutions; The data obtained by higher education institutions is sometimes inaccurate and unreliable, forcing leaders in higher education institutions to make strategic forecasts and implement new educational measures to be able to receive continuous, fast, accurate and structured data; System adaptability; The process of approaching digital transformation at local higher education institutions faces many difficulties; A comprehensive change from reallocation of job responsibilities, goals, strategies, roles in higher education institutions; The establishment of a digital culture in the foundation. The article also offers solutions to develop digital transformation in higher education in Vietnam today. The study also points out the basic solutions to develop digital transformation in higher education in Vietnam today, which are expressed through raising awareness and determination about digital transformation, considering human the center, selecting and applying technology, and improving the legal system, policies, and regulations on digital transformation in higher education.

Digital transformation is a critical continuum that significantly reshapes the management processes, operational functions, and educational methods of higher education institutions (HEIs). As such, effectively managing digital transformation processes in these institutions is crucial. This study aims to investigate the challenges faced during digital transformation in higher education and the role of digital leadership in addressing these challenges. Data for this research were collected from articles focused on digital leadership and digital transformation in higher education, indexed in the Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases, and analyzed using the systematic literature review method. The findings reveal that the main obstacles to digital transformation in higher education include deficiencies in technological infrastructure, lack of digital skills and competencies, financial limitations, and resistance to change. Moreover, it was found that digital leadership plays an essential role in navigating the digital transformation process. The study also highlights several strategies that can be employed to overcome these challenges, such as improving internal communication, fostering a culture of innovation, and enhancing digital literacy training. By providing insights into the effective management of digital transformation in higher education, this study aims to assist educational institutions in adapting more effectively to emerging technological, managerial, and educational needs.

The aim of this work is to present the dashboard as an interactive tool to analyze and visualize the results of the literature review on digital transformation in education, including the used architecture and software used to make it. The study collected 4149 articles from Scopus, Taylor and Francis, ScienceDirect, Redalyc y Sage and were selected 126 articles after applying quality criteria. The research used a mixed approach, both qualitative and quantitative, by one side, the literature review and the other side, extraction data analysis (EDA) was carried out. The study was conducted in four phases: Search and Acquisition, Cleansing and Organization, Analysis, and Design. PowerBI Desktop was the tool used to design and deploy the interactive dashboard. The main result was to visualize the most important information about digital transformation in higher education, such as the demographic distribution of the authors, their affiliations, the most prolific authors in the topic, and the trending topics. This innovative approach contributes to a more informed and data-driven understanding of digital transformation in higher education.

Background: Digital transformation refers to applying digital technology in various fields of society. In the last 5 years, digital transformation has spread to most areas of social life, including education. However, research on digital transformation in education is still fragmented. Objectives: The aim of the study was to present a comprehensive review of studies on digital transformation in education using bibliometric analysis. Methods: We searched the Scopus database from inception to 1 January 2023 using the search terms ‘digital transformation’ AND ‘education’ within abstracts, keywords, or titles of journal articles or conference papers written in English. The retrieved articles were analysed using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny tools. Results: A total of 1329 relevant studies were retrieved. Although the first paper in this field was published in 1999, the number of publications has increased rapidly only in the past 4 years. The most influential countries in this field are the developed countries (Russian Federation, Germany, and the United States), but scholars from the developing countries (Indonesia and Thailand) are among the most productive. Papers on digital transformation are frequently published in journals with lower rankings within the Scopus database. Using VOSviewer for keyword co-occurrence analysis, we classified the research topics related to digital transformation in educa-tion into four main groups: digital transformation in higher education under the impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic 2019 pandemic, applying the technolo-gies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to education, digitization and digital compe-tence in education in the context of digital transformation, and learning forms using technology (for example, e-learning, m-learning, and blended learning) in higher-education institutions. Conclusions: Four research trends related to digital transformation in education were identified. These trends may also change as digital transformation continues to develop.

In the dynamic landscape of South African higher education governance, this paper explores the intricate relationship between “academic freedom”, “institutional autonomy”, and “public accountability”. Over decades, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) has undertaken a comprehensive exploration of these foundational principles, initiating a national dialogue through research initiatives and publications. However, recent developments such as the Covid-19 pandemic underscore the imperative to delve deeper into this discourse, as globalisation is quickly becoming a critical external influence on higher education. Focusing on the subtheme: governance of education in a globalised arena, within the matrix of “academic freedom”, “institutional autonomy”, and “public accountability”, the article critically examines the interplay between these essential triadic elements and the overarching impact of higher education governance. Therefore, the aim is to elucidate how these principles intersect and shape the landscape of governance as private higher education institutions become more globalised. Methodologically, a Scoping Review was conducted to offer a wide-ranging outline of the existing body of knowledge. This involved systematically searching, selecting, and synthesising relevant academic literature, journal articles, and websites. Drawing on recent scholarly works, the article navigates the compliance landscape, emphasizing the delicate balance between regulation and “institutional autonomy” within a more globalized educational framework. As the global sphere increasingly influences higher education, the study navigates the compliance landscape, emphasising the subtle balance between regulation and “institutional autonomy” within a more globalized educational framework. Building on the CHE's groundwork over the years in South Africa (S.A.), this study provides insights and “pathways” towards a more global, adaptive, and responsive governance framework for private higher education institutions. Keywords: academic freedom, institutional autonomy, public accountability, private higher education, globalised education

Digital transformation in higher education has become a common trend in the pursuit of a sustainable education system in the future. This trend fosters higher education institutions to implement teaching, learning and research activities in an innovative and creative way. Globally, universities are making efforts to boost digital transformation application as a way to maintain their competitive advantages. This literature review aims to discuss digital transformation in global higher education, elaborate types of digital transformation, digital transformation frameworks for universities and put forth implications for Vietnamese higher education. It is hoped that this paper will provide insights into digital transformation in higher education in the world so that educators, policy makers and university leaders can collaborate and take proper actions to enhance the effectiveness of digital transformation application.

The aim of the article is to examine the economic and value-related aspects of digital transformation in higher education within the context of forming a digital society. The article analyzes the characteristics of the transition from an information society to a digital society, which is accompanied by profound changes in the technological, social, and educational environment. The article outlines the impact of digitalization on the modernization of higher education and identifies the university’s role as an institution responsible for professional activity in a global digital environment. The article explores how digital technologies alter the structure and content of the educational process, transform the role of the teacher, promote the development of new forms of learning and communication, and contribute to the cultivation of flexible skills needed in the 21st century. The article focuses on the economic effects of digitalization in higher education. The article examines the impact of implementing digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data, blockchain, and virtual and augmented reality on the efficiency of managerial decisions, cost optimization, process automation, and the competitiveness of universities. Examples are provided of the economic growth of educational institutions thanks to digital distance learning platforms, new revenue streams, and the commercialization of research. The substantiation for creating a unified digital ecosystem within the university that integrates educational, administrative, and financial processes is presented. The article also highlights the contradictory nature of digital transformation, particularly the risks of digital inequality, fragmentation of the academic space, and threats to the formalization of educational activities. The value tension between traditional educational principles (academic freedom, personal development, service to science) and administrative-digital practices oriented toward metrics, reporting, and quantitative measures has been analyzed. The experience of higher education institutions transitioning to a remote format during the pandemic as a catalyst for digital transformation has been examined. It has been demonstrated that effective use of digital technologies is possible if the humanistic orientations of education are preserved. It is concluded that digital transformation in higher education should be regarded as a strategic response to the challenges of the digital age, involving not only infrastructural changes but also a profound rethinking of the university’s roles, educational content, and organizational mechanisms. An effective integration of digital tools with traditional academic values ensures the sustainable development of higher education and its capacity to act as an active agent in shaping a digital society.

This article presents an unusual concrete insight to African higher education transformation. The purpose is to examine the roles of African women mainly Charlotte Maxeke, a South African, in the transformation of higher education and to identify the legacy these transformation offerings translate into for women. It is organized as follows: first, the origin of transformation in higher education systems to global massification of education in the background section is traced. Second, in an attempt to understand as a means of examining the roles of women in the transformation of higher education, existing literature as evidence is engaged. Two crucial issues—challenges for African higher education transformation and women’s role in higher education development in Africa—were reviewed analytically toward transformation of higher education. Third, empowerment theory, as suitable theory for the reasonable accomplishment of the purpose of this article, is presented. Last, the theory was applied to the discussions justifying the conclusion. The methodology used is both descriptive and exploratory. The article divulges that women had always being fanatical about empowerment of themselves and others because women had at some points in history contributed to developmental alterations of African higher education given their enormous offerings or contributions. Obviously, as revealed in this article, while risking their lives in an Apartheid/colonial regime where death could visit anyone who opposes the government at any time, their offerings or roles include financial commitment; empowerment advocacy and knowledge enchanting.

The implementation of digital transformation has been carried out in various industrial sectors, including the higher education sector. Many countries have considered changing their education system by doing digital transformation. Although digital transformation has the potential to improve the education system, developing countries still find it difficult to reap the benefits caused by certain barriers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the barriers faced when implementing digital transformation in higher education, in this case in Indonesia. The results of the questionnaire survey ensured that of the twenty-two barriers identified based on a literature review, eleven barriers significantly affecting the implementation of digital transformation in Indonesian higher education. This study contributes by revealing initial set barriers of digital transformation in the higher education sector. The findings of this study will help identify barriers that influence the direction of decision strategies for implementing digital transformation in higher education institutions in Indonesia.

This Innovation to Practice, Work-In-Progress Paper discusses efforts toward building a community for educational transformation in Higher Education led by the department of Open Learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT has a long history of implementing hands-on, science-based, problem-focused engineering education by working on authentic real-life problems. Within this context, sustainability has been and remains at the core of the MIT curriculum. In addition, Open Learning has a core mission to support educational transformation within the institution as well as around the world. In order for these goals to be fully achieved, institutional partnerships and global input are critical.In 2017 Open Learning, with support from Community Jameel, founded the Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL), a consortium of global members. Through J-WEL, MIT works with member organizations to promote excellence and transformation in education at MIT and worldwide. This paper focuses on the work taking place through one of three J-WEL subgroups, a collaborative focusing on higher education that is primarily composed of universities. By design, the J-WEL higher education collaborative members actively engage throughout the year via both online and in-person mechanisms.There are currently 20 higher education members who are working on 20 different goals regarding education transformation. Our future work includes building research partnerships between members through an innovation in education grant program, and assessing the outcomes of the collaboration facilitated by the consortium.

The objective of this paper is to identify the key challenges of digital transformation in higher education, based on the practice of the University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”. The issues are to present the experience of the Faculty of Business and Management (FBM) in distance learning and conduct a comparative analysis of students' opinions. Overall, the students perceive the educational process organization in the Faculty as striving for optimal quality at minimal costs. However, it is observed that some respondents are not familiar with basic academic terms, despite the University of Ruse's efforts in providing resources such as “First-year Students Guide” and support from the academic staff. The identified key challenges of digital transformation in higher education, particularly within the Faculty of Business and Management at the University of Ruse, are primarily due to human factors rather than technical, technological, or other ones.

This study examines the impact of transformation in higher education, in particular onthe introduction of new technology to students in Malaysia. This study is unique as itfocuses on usage and technology resistance. Another uniqueness of the study is thattechnology resistance is measured by non-technology and post-technology antecedents,which have yet to be discovered by existing studies. These factors could potentiallyinfluence students to refrain from using technology in their studies, as many previousstudies only focus on usage. Furthermore, prior research should have classifieddifferent types of resistance that cause significant knowledge gaps in technologyeducation. A survey of 156 respondents concluded that antecedents of non-technologyusage do lead to resistance. Post-technology usage, similarly, does influence resistance.As expected, the usage of technology influenced students' performances. Finally,resistance to technology did not affect students' performance. This is likely the firststudy to examine the impact of transformation in education and classify the antecedentsof technology resistance into two categories: non-technology usage and posttechnologyusage. This research will help policymakers understand how students reactto educational transformations. Adding technology could improve how well studentsdo in university, but it could also hurt how well they do in university.

(1997). Academic freedom and the transformation of higher education. English Academy Review: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 9-16.