Ray Offenheiser, the William J. Pulte Director of the Pulte Institute for Global Development, spoke at a Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) event on July 13 focused on the future of higher education and work in light of COVID-19. The virtual event was part of MassTLC's Transform Series, which features our nations leading experts in economics, healthcare, and business to keep viewers informed on the most pressing issues impacting the tech ecosystem.
Over the past several years there has been a great deal of research on the future of higher education and the future of work. Offenheiser joined a panel of national experts, including Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, and Jean Hammond, General Partner with the LearnLaunch Accelerator, to discuss the realities of those futures coming to bear in the wake of COVID-19.
The experts answered important questions, such as:
- What is the value of a degree when the fundamental structure of higher ed and the work world are transforming?
- Will those displaced by automation see new opportunities and a career path forward?
- With the economic divide and its resulting social unrest increasing, how can we fix a broken system?
In addition to his role with the Pulte Institute, Offenheiser is professor of the practice in Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs and interim director of the McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business. Prior to joining Notre Dame in August 2017, he was the president of Oxfam America for over 20 years. Offenheiser will bring his extensive expertise and experience to this conversation about a rapidly changing environment.
"The cost of not solving for the enormous equitable divide our country (and world) is facing will ultimately mean a tale of two economies, one rich and one poor. The result will be more unrest and more divisiveness," said Offenheiser. "The solution must come from private/public partnerships and a willingness of those that can do, must do."
You can learn more about MassTLC and watch more episodes in the Transform series online here.
As the largest and most powerful technology association in the region, MassTLC’s mission is to accelerate growth, innovation, and the development of an inclusive tech ecosystem in Massachusetts. For more than 30 years, MassTLC has served as the premier network for thousands of companies and entrepreneurs seeking valuable connections.
The Pulte Institute for Global Development—an integral part of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame—works to address global poverty and inequality through policy, practice, and partnership.
Contact: Heather Asiala, communications program manager, Pulte Institute for Global Development, h.asiala@nd.edu