Universities are at a critical time of change, balancing the need to innovate with the many challenges they face to delivering the world-class education for which our sector is known; tight budgets, staff juggling multiple responsibilities and students needing more support. At Jisc, we believe that digital innovation isn’t yet another on the list of demands: it offers institutions the ability to deliver on their priorities, ensuring a high-quality student experience and research excellence.
Digital transformation is the sustainable, long-term approach that responds to many of these ongoing challenges, allowing institutions to continuously adapt to a changing education landscape. A wholesale change like this can be challenging, especially for the higher education sector. The technical jargon alone can be overwhelming and the fostering of a new culture, updating infrastructure, and reshaping the way we work, is a journey that requires effort and ongoing engagement at every level.
Throughout my time at Jisc, I’ve come to appreciate a fundamental truth that runs through all our work. Any successful digital programme needs to focus on the people, processes and cultural aspects of successful business change as much, if not more so, than the technology.
