What's the point of higher ed?

Why go to university? What's the point of being in one place for +3 years to study something that you might not enjoy in 5 or 10 years?

Asked differently: What is the value of universities for society? A lot of the discussion about universities and degrees are myopic, only looking about the teaching part and asking if universities are doing a good job preparing people for their jobs. But universities are more than a place for transmitting knowledge from experts to novices.

Universities are

a place to grow and develop your identity

a place to experiment and discover new knowledge

an employer - not just for academics

a place for expressing opinions

a place where different opinions can clash

a place to wonder around (physically)

an organization that preserves old buildings

the door for new opportunities

a meeting place for people and ideas

In my opinion, universities are not about teaching or research. Universities are about experimenting and discovery.

For people to experiment and discovery they need a number of things:

Financial freedom: You can't experiment if you are worried about not being able to pay your bill. The risk of failure is too high

Mental freedom: You can't experiment if you are worried about being ridiculed or dismissed or worse. The risk of speaking up is too high

People: You can't experiment if you are alone. You are not pushed outside your comfort zone. No one is shining a light on your blind spot.

I like the way

Glenn Platt is putting it⁠

. Universities are in the business of meaning making. We need collaborative processes and a mesh structure. Everyone is a developer and user of knowledge.

⁠

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video of TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWtUMyAYqzch

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