The Social and Economic Imperatives Driving the Need to Scale Access to Education and Training Across the Lifespan

Abstract

This chapter "sets the stage" for the substantive chapters in this book. It describes the meta forces shaping the who, what and how higher education institutions can continue to be relevant and responsive in a rapidly changing world. Demographic shifts, accelerating technological change and the forces of globalization are creating significant pressures on higher education institutions to provide accessible and inclusive education across the lifespan. The essays in this volume provide clues to how institutions of higher learning can engage these new imperatives.