Moving Towards Industry 5.0: Opportunities and Challenges in Bahrain Higher Education

This study aimed to investigate the challenges and opportunities of industry 5.0 in Bahrain higher education sector. The research questions are related to students’ motivation and engagement in learning, IT infrastructure and resources affecting implementation of digital technologies, social and emotional wellbeing of students, and synergy between industry 5.0 and society 5.0. The research is qualitative in nature. Focus group interview was conducted with eight faculty members and content analysis was done to analyze the interview transcripts. Qualitative analysis reveals that application of industry 5.0 in education enhances students’ engagement and motivation. With collaborative and experiential learning, social belongingness and emotional wellbeing of the students are improved. The human centric approach promotes acquisition of new skills and competencies aligned with the future jobs and focuses on linking activities with sustainable development goals. Challenges and opportunities of industry 5.0 in education have been identified. Based on the findings, a framework has been proposed for the universities to deal with the era 5.0. The framework shows how the universities should respond to the rapid changes brought by disruptive technologies with human centric approach. The universities need to implement digital transformation strategy, focus on building industry partnership, international collaboration, training, robust IT infrastructure and resources, and promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.