The theme for the inaugural SUSS SoTL Symposium 2022, “Learning for Life: Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Credentialing” captures key value propositions in SUSS’s commitment toward continuous learning and social good.
With better medical technologies, our life expectancy is predicted to be 100 years old. That means people will have five to seven stages in their lives defined by multiple career/interest changes, rather than the currently conceived three stages of school, work and retirement. A university degree obtained at the start of one’s career can at best provide for in the initial years before further upskilling is needed. Against such a backdrop, the question begs: How can universities prepare their learners to be resilient, adaptable, and employable in this VUCA world so as to make a difference for themselves and in the world?
Achieving the ambition of a curriculum aimed at “learning for life” cannot be the endeavour of a sole institution. Reinventing the current models of curriculum, methods of instruction and means of credentialing require conversations with employers and industries on theory-practice nexus, balance between disciplinary knowledge and generalisable competencies, and synergies between workplace and institutional learning. In this symposium, we bring together renowned scholars and leading industry players to join us in the conversation of “Learning for Life” as we partake in this transformational evolution of learning in the higher education landscape.