Ecological aspirations of youth: how higher education could fall between two stools

Abstract

Young people believe they have a responsibility to make a better world but do not feel adequately prepared to do so. This is a serious challenge for Higher Education institutions who want to meet these expectations and keep recruiting as they often say- the best and the brightest. The ambitions and aspirations of the youth are increasingly converging throughout the planet. Surveys and polls have never been as consistent as in 2019, revealing growing concerns for societal issues at large, but most importantly, for the ecological transition, that Higher Education institutions cannot ignore. Confronted to fierce competition for students and of declining enrolment, universities face a contradicting challenge: meeting the expectations of future students and maintain the trust of the job market concerning its capacity to prepare and equip the youth with the skills and competencies of tomorrow, while providing the foundations for critical thinking and for effective citizenship.