Impact of Globalisation and Technology as Major Engines of Change and Disruption on Higher Education

Namibia’s Higher Education sector is highly vulnerable to globalisation, especially in a volatile, uncertain, complex ambiguous (VUCA) world. This chapter focuses on the conceptualisations of globalisation and higher education. The author contends that globalisation is the major disruptive force that is driving change in the Namibian higher education sector. The objectives of the chapter are to define globalisation, define higher education, discuss globalisation as a major engine of change in higher education and explain globalisation as a major disruption of higher education. The contents of this chapter were generated from the experience-based approach of the author and desktop analysis of the existing literature on globalisation and higher education. The conceptual framework is based on globalisation, higher education, the future of higher education, and sustainability of human societies. It is conceptualised that there is a linear relationship between globalisation and the sustainability of human societies. This means globalisation has a direct impact on the provision of higher education at the moment and the future of higher education because of the VUCA. This impacts how human societies can live a sustainable life after acquiring the knowledge, skills, and competences required to function in the VUCA world.