Current and Future Trends in the World of Universities

For the past twenty years, while the world in general has deeply changed, the world of universities has been subject to many forces that profoundly upset its traditions. Indeed, since Humboldt’s time where universities were described as ivory towers, this sector knows serious upheavals and disruptions. It is therefore timely to reflect on the major current trends in the world of universities to discern what could be its future. The paper shows that the resolution of the challenges faced by universities, apart from funding, depends mainly upon universities themselves. This point is crucial. It is in their initiatives, managerial skills, innovations, and strong commitments that their future is written, but also that of their region and of their country. Presumably, the adjustments will be faster in Anglo-Saxon countries but also in Japan and Korea and much less in Europe and the rest of the world.