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How to chart a course through crisis Faced with an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – or VUCA – world, how can universities adapt and prepare themselves and their students to successfully navigate through turbulent times?
The world in which universities teach, support students and undertake research has become increasingly volatile and uncertain. Taken alone, the climate crisis, global pandemics, political instability and rapid technological advances pose huge challenges, but when combined as they are now, they can seem unsurmountable. And yet higher education is where our greatest minds are dedicated to seeking solutions to such wicked problems. At a time when uncertainty is perhaps the only thing educators and leaders can rely on, the resources in this spotlight offer advice on how to build resilience and adaptability in faculty, staff and students.
Copyright © 2025 THE - Times Higher Education. All rights reserved. How to embrace change as a spectrum
In a complex , ever - evolving environment , faculty may need strategies to navigate their fluctuating comfort levels . Here are ways to lean into change – from reflection and curiosity to active participation
Adaptability is different from resilience – and here ’ s how to nurture it
Identifying what adaptability is and how to boost it can help students make appropriate adjustments to optimise their …
How we used a business management theory to help students …
Uncertainty is a major challenge to mental health so a team at Xi ’ an Jiaotong - Liverpool University used a business management …
Confusion diffusion : nine ways to prepare students to work with uncertainty
Jenny Moffett explores classroom techniques to help students meet the demands of an increasingly complex and rapidly changing …
Preparing students to succeed in a volatile , uncertain , complex and ambiguous world
University campuses can act as an incubator , giving students a secure environment where they feel nurtured and cared for and where they can come to terms with who they are , writes Cheong Fan
Questions beyond majors : developing mental maturity in students
When undergraduates build their own course plan , reading list and thesis project , the benefits extend beyond the individual student ’ s mindset to teaching faculty , write Ryan Derby - Talbot and Marjorie Wonham
The sector ’ s role in addressing climate change is crucial – and varied
From researching microalgae to evaluating and contributing to climate policy , universities have a significant job to do , …
THE podcast : universities aren ’ t too small to lead the climate crisis fight
It ’ s easy to feel hopeless in the face of climate change , but , in this episode , two experts offer ways universities – and individuals – can …
Tackling climate change requires university , government and …
Universities must work with government and industry to drive climate action . Anna Skarbek outlines key principles that should shape the …
Accelerating towards net zero emissions : how to mobilise your university on climate action
John Madden provides insight on how universities can mobilise their intellectual and institutional capacities to accelerate towards net zero emissions
Start your university on a path to resilient net zero
Practical tips on how institutions can improve their resilience to climate threats while on a path towards net zero emissions , by Rob Wilby and Shona Smith
Transformative not transmissive education for sustainability
The teaching of sustainability and the SDGs needs to equip graduates with the skills to bring about transformative change …
Ease students ’ climate anxiety by encouraging climate action
Climate anxiety is a mental health issue and universities can help students overcome it through climate action , multiplying their own …
Working with student activists to speed up progress towards a sustainable future
Jaime Toney explains how working with grassroots student activists can help accelerate institutional action towards the …
Struggle , strength and growth : preparing students for the changing future
How to emotionally prepare students for uncertainty and complexity in their future lives by helping them recognise their strengths and embrace change
Teaching the unknown : how to prepare students for uncertainty
Five steps that educators can take to teach students to cope with uncertainty and respond effectively to unforeseen events
Develop the skills of the future through challenge - based learning
Modern employers require a broad suite of skills from graduates ; Jorge Membrillo - Hern á ndez outlines how challenge - based …
Training students for jobs that do not exist yet
The rethinking of course materials and programmes to incorporate future trends is a key requirement for all …
Accounting for sustainability : we need to change how we teach
Accountants of the future will need to respond to as yet unknown sustainability reporting standards . Freirean dialogic …
Towards 2035 : a future view of university education
What will higher education be like by 2035 ? Four early - career academics at Australian universities , from different discipline areas , offer a vision of how universities might evolve and adapt to future technologies and workplace demands
Unlocking knowledge within local communities as part of ‘ levelling up ’
With ‘ levelling up ‘ and regional prosperity now central to the UK government ’ s thinking , universities need to transform the way they conduct research to respond to emerging needs and provide solutions to today ’ s social , economic and environmental issues
Restructuring a university , part one
When Bill Flanagan took the helm , the University of Alberta was facing a $ 222 million funding cut – 20 per cent of the university ’ s operating …
Leadership styles in higher education that work in the ‘ new normal ’
University leaders require a broad set of skills – from using data to creating long - term strategy – as well as the ability to adapt to …
What does a 21st - century research and science system look like ?
Jim Metson explores what is needed from universities and government to create a transformative research , science and innovation …
Navigating crisis communications in HE : strategies for an effective response
Tiffany Beck provides a play - by - play guide to planning a comprehensive communications strategy for when crisis situations strike
Covid proved that HE can change quickly and effectively after all
Much discussion has focused on what to do better , but we should also recognise strengths that had not been seen prior to the crisis , say Jon McNaughtan and Hugo Garc í a
Universities must promote pluralism to ward off threats to democracy
Once the moral basis of anyone who disagrees with us is rejected , then democracy inevitably implodes , says Matthew Flinders
Simple ways universities can collaborate to bring more refugees into …
There ’ s strength in numbers when it comes to meeting the unique learning and support needs of refugee students
How open knowledge strengthens democracies
No longer just guardians of knowledge , public universities are critical to the health of young democracies . To support civil society and …
A DIY guide to protecting academic freedom
A guide to help faculty manage and respond to threats to their academic freedom , from understanding the source of the challenges to finding allies and resources that can assist
What can universities do to improve routes into HE for displaced academics ?
Efforts to support Ukrainian academics offer lessons in how individual institutions can improve pathways into UK higher education for displaced scholars now and in the future , write Uta Staiger and Freya Proudman
The dark side of AI ’ s promised efficiencies
Artificial intelligence can use data and algorithms in a way that prioritises rationality over values such as fairness and quality of education , …
Adapt , evolve , elevate : ChatGPT is calling for interdisciplinary …
Our response to ChatGPT and its successors should be one that encourages open , interdisciplinary discourse and …
Everything you need to know about cyberattacks ( but were afraid to ask )
From communication to recovery times , Patrick Bailey provides an insider ’ s guide to dealing with the havoc wrought by cyberattacks , …
