MARKETING longer at the university libraries but in the palm of our hands .
This is in contrast with the way most of our universities have been reacting . Many of them are still taking up tens of satellite campuses , settling on prime real estate in major towns and expanding rapidly despite some running into losses .
According to the Commission for University Education , there are over 30 public chartered universities in the country and six Public constituent colleges . There are 18 private chartered universities , five private constituent colleges and 14 institutions with letters of interim authority . This brings all universities to 74 .
Higher education is being replaced with alternative educational systems much like we have seen how YouTube revolutionized the content creation industry , just like how Uber transformed the way we move around . Inevitably , Internet short courses are disrupting higher education with the likes of Udemy and Coursera .
These online platforms are making education more flexible , accessible
“ To remain relevant , Universities must embrace change and look to creatively amalgamate digital technology components in the delivery of quality and applicable education and focus on what the market wants and innovate accordingly .”
and affordable to more people , especially the working class than the satellite campuses can even imagine .
Maybe the online platforms cannot entirely outdo the powerful impact of face-to-face interaction but their impact is being felt across the globe , raising concerns about their current and future roles in the education landscape .
The relevance of universities in Kenya is a ticking time bomb . The high enrollment rates have started coming down as the value of education continues to depreciate . Additionally , the decline in the applicability of university accredited courses as employers start looking down upon the papers speaks doom for the tertiary fraternity .
Some universities in an ‘ if you cannot beat them , join them ’ fashion , propelled by the Covid-19 pandemic have started online teaching classes but has the ship already left the dock ?
To remain relevant , they must embrace change and look to creatively amalgamate digital technology components in the delivery of quality and applicable education and focus on what the market wants and innovate accordingly . ■
Denis Mbau is a corporate communications and media expert working in multiple sectors , helping organizations communicate effectively through strategy to enhance impact . You can commune with him via email at :
Mbaud2010 @ gmail . com .