Exploring Digital Transformation in Higher Education and Research via Scenarios

Marco Barzman (1) , Mélanie Gerphagnon (2) , Geneviève Aubin-Houzelstein (3) , Georges-Louis Baron (4) , Alain Benard (3) , François Bouchet (5) , Juliette Dibie-Barthelemy (6) , Jean-Francois Gibrat (3) , Simon Hodson (7) , Evelyne Lhoste (3) , Caroline Martin (3) , Yann Moulier-Boutang (8) , Sébastien Perrot (9) , Fabrice Phung (10) , Christian Pichot (3) , Mehdi Siné (11) , Thierry Venin (12) , Olivier Mora (1)

1 Direction de l'Expertise scientifique collective, de la Prospective et des Etudes
2 SU - Sorbonne Université
3 INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement
4 UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5
5 MOCAH - Modèles et Outils en ingénierie des Connaissances pour l'Apprentissage Humain
6 MIA Paris-Saclay - Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées
7 CODATA - Comité de données pour la science et la technologie
8 UTC - Université de Technologie de Compiègne
9 ENVA - École nationale vétérinaire - Alfort
10 MTES - Ministère de la Transition Ecologique et Solidaire
11 ACTA - Association de Coordination Technique Agricole
12 UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour

Digital transformation induces rapid and profound changes in higher education and research (HER). With this foresight, INRAE and Agreenium, two French public HER institutions centered on food, agriculture and the environment, explore the challenges they face in a world increasingly dependent on digital resources. Four scenarios generated via morphological analysis provide researchers, teachers and institutions a heuristic framework to anticipate risks and opportunities in terms of: platformization of research, commodification of knowledge and the ascendency of data; pressing demands to respond to planet-wide emergencies; renewed multi-stakeholder relations between civil society and the academic community; and limits on energy and raw materials devoted to digital uses.

Keywords: Digital Transformation; Higher Education; Research; Big Data; Platforms; Environment; Multi-Actor; Frugal Use

Domains: Computer Science [cs]; Humanities and Social Sciences; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Humanities and Social Sciences; Education

Marco Barzman, Mélanie Gerphagnon, Geneviève Aubin-Houzelstein, Georges-Louis Baron, Alain Benard, et al.. Exploring Digital Transformation in Higher Education and Research via Scenarios. Journal of Futures Studies, 2021, 25 (3), pp.65-78. ⟨10.6531/JFS.202103_25(3).0006⟩. ⟨hal-02911665⟩