Developing a Conceptual Model for University 4.0 in the Digital Era

Abstract

University 4.0 is a modern higher education model in association with the Fourth Industrial Revolution - Industry 4.0. The model aims to implement, not only two first missions of teaching and research, but mainly the third one of contributing to the local socio-economic development. This paper focusses on clarifying the core components and implementation conditions of University 4.0 model. Specifically, in the context of digital transformation, the main missions of University 4.0 consist in transferring knowledge, supporting and enhancing the innovation versus the professional world. So, the University 4.0 model should be focus on four core components, including: (i) competencies in education, R&D and innovation, (ii) new learning methods suitable to the digital era, (iii) information and communication technologies associated with the Industry 4.0, and (iv) innovative infrastructure to improve learning processes.