University Business - August 2006 - (Page 13)

E D I T O R ' S NOTE Higher ed must adapt to the `flat world.' J U D G I N G BY THE STANDINGROOM O N LY crowd that turned out to hear keynote speaker Thomas Friedman at the Campus of the Future conference last month in Honolulu, I may be one of the few people left who hasn't read his book, The World is Flat. The book is on my night stand, along with other books I haven't gotten around to reading yet, including, ironically, David Allen's Getting Things Done. Friedman, addressing the joint conference of NACUBO, SCUP, and APPA, told the audience the warning he was given Great leveragers. People who have learned to do the job of that inspired his bestselling book: The global economy playing 20 people using technology will always be in demand. field is being leveled and America is not ready. Great synthesizers. This is a person who can take two differ- When The World is Flat first came out in 2004, he said, many people interpreted it as an obituary of sorts: America had lost the ent products or ideas to create something new that enhances the global race to countries like India and China that had the fore- value of both. Great explainers. Friedman's flat world is so complex it will sight to adapt, while the rest of the world was sleeping. That foresight was realized in part by the flood of outsourcing that has need new guides to lead the way for the rest of us. Great localizers. The internet has made every small business a eliminated so many of the jobs for which traditional forms of potential global player. education have prepared graduates. Green adapters. Deriving alter- But Friedman continued his re- search after the book came out, and We don't just need more natives to fossil fuels and sustainable societies will always be in demand, saw enough hope for the future that he expanded the original volume to education, we need the he said. right education. Thomas Friedman the Passionatebring a uniquewho have people. Those version 2.0 with what he believes ability to personal are the strategies college graduates touch to vanilla jobs will keep them and the rest of us will need to stay safe from the threat of outsourcing. competitive in the race. Great adapters. Friedman said the winners in the future job Key to that strategy is the emergence of new middle jobs, or jobs that can't be outsourced. But how do we prepare today's market will be those who make quick changes. He said it's like students for those jobs? We don't just need more education, we training for the Olympics without knowing what sport you'll compete in. need the right education, he said. Once the unquestioned leader in technology, he said, Amer- That education must satisfy the unique needs of the future job market. It will encourage and build upon skills that define ica won't win this race by default, only by understanding the new the types of jobs that will encompass the global economy. It will flat world and becoming part of it. Friedman called on the audi- involve new ways of teaching. It will also likely involve combin- ence of educators to take heart that the battle is not lost. Some ing two or more disciplines to create a new area of study specifi- innovative schools, such as Georgia Tech, get it, he said. When the world is flat, whatever can be done will be done, cally geared to accommodate flat world economy. Friedman outlined eight new middle jobs for which educa- he said. The question is, will it be done by you or to you? tors must prepare their students. The new middle jobs will be held by people who are: Great collaborators. Those who have learned to work effec- tively with others whether in the same office or on other conti- Write to Tim Goral at tgoral@universitybusiness.com. nents via internet technology. universitybusiness.com August 2006 | 13 Edspage806.indd 13 7/24/06 3:19:37 PM http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - August 2006

Contents
College Index
Advisory Board
Company Index
Editor's Note
People Watch
Sense of Place
Stats Watch
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
On the Hill
Admissions
Future Shock
An Education in AV Technology
Retention Intentions
Endowment Management
Good Data In, Good Data Out
Sticking with the Tried & True
Home, Sweet Home
Faculty Issues in Online Education
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - August 2006