Students are confident that universities will deliver for them as the digital economy arrives, according to a global study by higher education provider and uni-partner Navitas.

“A common theme running through the student responses was that, by and large, they still have confidence in higher education today,” Navitas reports.

And ed-tech entrepreneurs, including start-ups, focus more on improving rather than disrupting the present university model.

“While they see the potential for new models in higher education, they also see room to refine the current model. For example, by working with universities to roll out digital content, streamline administrative processes and support the student experience – all high priorities for university leaders.”

Universities across the globe also acknowledge the need for change, but believe they can manage it within their existing models.

“University leaders view digital transformation as a way to improve ‘how’ they do their existing work. Three quarters plan to partly digitise their current operations while creating new digital models in parallel. Very few aim to create wholly new digital models or fully digitise their current model, suggesting they remain confident in the current university model.”

However, students, university managers and entrepreneurs are not united in what they consider most important.

Digital recruitment and admissions are particularly important to university leaders

Digitising student services matter to all three groups.

Neither students or universities are interested in completely abandoning lectures.

Students want new technology integrated in their overall education but do not share management and entrepreneurs’ fascination with new technologies in, for example, gaming, simulation and robotics.

But what students do want far more than universities are “technologies or platforms to support internships and pathways to employment.”