Moving from a “looking-on” approach to a “reaching-out” approach in higher ed: Opinion

Henry Mintzberg (McGill University) and Susan Mintzberg (McGill) discuss an alternative to the “looking-on” ivory tower approach that much of higher ed’s operations currently follow. The Mintzbergs explain that an alternative “reaching-out” model sees the institution cross the “strict boundaries between the university and the so-called ‘real world’”. They discuss how this model operates on the fronts of research and research dissemination, education, and administration. While the new proposed model comes with benefits, the authors note that there is still value in the “looking-on” model and ultimately call for a balance between the two approaches.