HIGHER EDUCATION: MOBILITY VS STABILITY
I am wondering what I will do without this course – I got used to reading through a lot of diverse posts, and without this weekly entertainment, my life will be bleak, I am afraid. I cannot say that I have read everything in “Mobile Education”, but I am pretty close. The topic of mobility, especially the physical aspect of it, is truly irresistible.
My attitude toward educational mobility is cautiously optimistic because of my personal circumstances. I have spent most of my career at the East Ukrainian university.
When I studied the history of West European universities as a part of the bigger research, it was fun to know that universities were mobile in Middle Ages – students could start their long educational journey in one institution and then go through courses and professors all the way across Europe to continue. Sometimes, medieval universities had to be mobile themselves and ran away when their city patrons were unhappy with them.
The European Union re-established this tradition of educational mobility in the 21st century when the Erasmus program was open. It allowed postgraduate students to spend several semesters in other European universities during their studies. I find this approach fascinating because it can unite different European cultures and promote understanding between nations though I doubt that the education quality remains the same.
Besides teaching and research, I was also responsible for the European activities of the university which meant A LOT of travel. I sometimes went to my university not knowing whether I would return home that day, and I dreamt about more stability in my life. Yet the fact that I was “quick off the mark” those days probably saved me in 2014 when I left the country as quickly as possible while some of my less agile colleagues, unfortunately, lost their lives.
My Ukrainian university also fled the dangerous area then; its administration and most important documentation were moved to a different part of the country while campuses and everything stable/material were left behind. It was forced intranational mobility, but mobility anyway. Afterward, students and professors engaged online, and this way the displaced university became prepared for the pandemic. Last year, the university had to move again.
With such luggage of intranational, intracontinental, and intercontinental mobility, it is hard for me to choose mobility over stability or vice versa. I will vote for a reasonable balance between physical mobility and stability in higher education.
Sorry for this tragic note, everyone. I tried to find any relevant online material on the negative impact of educational mobility, but as far as I can see, modern researchers are more concerned with the connection between education and social mobility (career prospects):
https://theconversation.com/education-does-not-always-equal-social-mobility-106386
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/27/social-mobility-good-education
Looks like we have to decide for ourselves on mobility in education. Thanks for reading!
Anna,
Thank you for the touching personal story. I’m sorry to hear that you have had to go through that. I agree with you in terms of stability, and how valuable it can be. While I was never trapped in a war zone, I also went through some less than stable struggles, and have come through them with a huge appreciation for both the mobility and stability balance that you speak of. Part of the reason that I love this program is the fact that it is online, and if I really want/need to, I can simply grab my phone and do work on the go. I often go to visit my dad (he’s about to turn 87 and lost my mum 4 years ago, so lives alone) and the ability to continue my studies while strengthening my relationship with my dad is absolutely invaluable to me. Of course, he always just tells me about how much he misses my dogs when we go home…. 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Catriona. I wish your dad excellent health! I totally agree with you on the advantages of online learning. It is just that sometimes there is too much mobility. I thought it would be interesting to share the story of the East European uni which had to change its physical location twice within a decade. Venceremos! Cheers!