Digital technology and COVID-19 have transformed the ways universities are delivering courses. But some are taking a minimalist low-cost approach, while others are aiming higher.
New Zealand health authorities were quick to react to the threat of a COVID-19 outbreak and managed to avoid community transmission, but the unique nature of how the virus spreads also played a role.
The pandemic has accelerated some urban trends and reversed others, while focusing attention on the vulnerabilities of cities. The old planning certainties will have to be revisited.
Allen Rodrigo, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
There are several earlier examples of people studying infectious pathogens being infected in the laboratory, even while working under strict biosafety conditions.
The course offers a model for teaching about complex problems, and underlines the critical role of university learning, research and outreach in understanding and addressing them.
Record-keepers have a pretty good sense of how many people have died. But figuring out the cause of those deaths is a lot trickier – and that’s why reasonable modelers can disagree.
Darby Saxbe, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences et Alyssa Morris, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Pregnant women’s experiences can affect their babies’ health, even into adulthood. Researchers know societywide stresses can lead to these long-term consequences – and the pandemic likely fits the bill.
Michael Plank, University of Canterbury et Andrew Chen, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The trans-Tasman travel bubble has come to a temporary regional halt three times now, highlighting the challenges in tracking the risk of an outbreak across jurisdictions with different systems.
International students have been admirably persistent in studying online for more than a year. But as other countries open their doors, Australia risks losing them if it fails to show they are wanted.
COVID-19 has overwhelmed India’s hospitals partly because decades of under-investment in public health have left the country with one of the most privatised health systems in the world.
With the country’s vaccine rollout succeeding where pandemic management failed, and Biden moving boldly on climate and immigration, his presidency is off to a promising start.
Our current quarantine capacity would take six months to handle the return of 150,000 existing students, but 70,000 new students every six months would also be needed to halt the fall in enrolments.
At one time more than one in three Australians did volunteer work. Only one in five are now doing so, but there are some positive signs as volunteering organisations adapt to changing times.
Another city, another snap lockdown, and another round of asking whether it will successfully prevent disaster this time, or whether the coronavirus has already spread undetected through the community.
Michael Plank, University of Canterbury et Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
New Zealand and Australia both had COVID-19 outbreaks originating from border facilities, but as frontline border workers are prioritised for vaccination, the risk of this happening again is lower.
Treating online education as a cheap alternative to lectures will be a mistake. At first universities will probably have to allow more preparation time and invest more in training and technology.