Will coronavirus pandemic transform the university sector as the Black Death did in the Middle Ages?

The plague that swept through Europe in the late 1340s shut some universities but ultimately led to a shift from a world view centred on theology to one that valued science

Today’s higher education sector is a massive economic driver in the US, Britain and Australia. The drop in international student numbers will hit these countries hard

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Graduates wave Chinese national flags during a commencement ceremony at Columbia University in New York on May 16, 2018. Chinese students make up a third of international students in the US. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:30pm, 26 Apr 2020Updated: 8:42pm, 26 Apr 2020

As we wring our hands over pandemic deaths and the harm being inflicted on household incomes and the global economy, we must spare a thought for the terrible plight of our education systems worldwide – in particular, universities.

As the Black Death swept through Europe in the late 1340s, several universities closed their doors but later emerged transformed. There was a shift from a world view that centred on theology, which proved of little help in understanding or tackling the pandemic, to one that valued science. But this was modest compared with the changes likely to be wrought today from the pandemic’s impacts on education.

Back then, university education was an elite, minority opportunity. Today, it provides the bedrock for technological innovation, economic progress and leadership in societies worldwide. It underpins the economic fortunes of millions of families. In its own right, it is a massive economic driver, accounting for millions of teaching jobs and, for countries like the US, Britain, Australia and Canada, significant export earnings.

The Covid-19 pandemic has rocked the foundations of this critical sector of our economies, while creating a crisis for millions of millennials who see their future livelihoods in jeopardy.

As schools and universities are shut, with e-learning schedules being rushed into place, 18-year-olds focused on the big leap into university have had their exam season turned upside down, with many left in a quandary about how they will qualify for university places.

For the thousands seeking a place overseas, even if they are offered one based on course work and “predictive” grades, international travel bans mean they could not get to the universities to begin study. It is open to question whether student visas can be provided.