The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted higher education institutions, staff and students around the world. The quality of learning and student and staff well-being has deteriorated and graduates joining the labour market worry about the relevance of their skills in post-COVID labour markets. As countries recover from the pandemic, they should seize the opportunity to position their higher education systems as an engine of economic growth and social progress. Learning from international experience can help them in that effort.
In two new reports from the OECD, we look at the strengths and challenges of higher education systems in Hungary and the Slovak Republic, drawing upon national consultation and international experience, and the support of the European Union Structural Reform Support Programme.
The key points emerging from the document are the following:
– Improving higher education systems can grow economies and make societies more resilient.
– Looking at lessons from other countries can help make reforms more efficient and effective.