Following the successful run of ACA’s “Think Pieces” series in 2020 on the world after Covid-19 and in 2021 on inclusion in the context of higher education, ACA continued in 2022 by exploring the multi-faceted nature of digitalisation in the higher education sector. Throughout 2022, leading voices on the digitalisation of HE shared their reflections and explored the multi-faceted nature of digitalisation in higher education institutions from an international cooperation perspective.  

This month’s Think Piece – What was gained and what was lost: some reflections on digitalisation, the pandemic and the way forward – the eighth and final publication in this year’s series, is authored by Piet Van Hove, President (2022-24) of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) and Senior Policy Advisor for Internationalisation at the University of Antwerp. Piet thoughtfully concludes this year’s Think Pieces series by reminding us that digital tools, after all, are tools. It is the special connections between us that matter just as much as being able to use such tools to enhance opportunities in higher education.

After making the distinction between digitisation and digitalisation, the author highlights the immensely transformative power of digitalisation in higher education.  With the new opportunities it presents, it is important to consider young adult learners and to emphasise the value of staying socially connected. The final piece in this year’s series encourages us to reconsider the significance of our social interactions and the power we have in leading the way for what matters in digitalisation and in digital skills. Afterall, having social skills is a precondition for being able to use digital tools in collaborations. 

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