Thomas Farnell: COVID-19 – taking stock of the impact

When lockdowns and restrictions to movement were introduced across Europe and around the world in March 2020, it was hard to imagine how universities would manage these unprecedented circumstances. Some eighteen months later, we’re still juggling shifting conditions, but much has been done by our higher education institutions in an effort to rise to the challenges imposed by the pandemic.  

A major study produced earlier this year examines how successful these attempts have been. Based on a wealth of evidence and data, the research examines the trends currently taking shape, predicts their potential development over the next few years, and makes recommendations as to how to seize such a unique “opportunity to radically rethink how higher education functions”. To help us navigate the report, we are joined today by one of its authors, Thomas Farnell, Higher Education Expert at the Institute for the Development of Education.

About Thomas Farnell

Thomas Farnell serves as Higher Education Policy Expert at the Institute for the Development of Education, a think tank for higher education based in Zagreb, Croatia. His main interest is how universities interact with society and respond to societal needs. He is a member of the European Commission’s Network of Experts on the Social Dimension of Education (NESET), for which he co-authored the report The impact of COVID-19 on higher education: a review of emerging evidence.

Further reading

For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ The impact of COVID-19 on higher education: a review of emerging evidence (NESET Analytical report)

→ Coping with COVID-19: International higher education in Europe (EAIE report)

→ A year of COVID-19: Resources and emerging practices (EAIE blog)

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