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The very essence of internationalisation, which depends heavily on academic mobility and cross-border interactions, has been adversely affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been associated with a significant decline in student and staff mobility in South Africa and around the world. Nonetheless, it has also catalysed innovation and inspired new approaches to teaching and learning that have the potential to transform the future of higher education. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions are grappling with a fundamental question that goes beyond the practicalities of internationalisation: How can we re-envision the concept of internationalisation to meet the challenges of the new normal? This question calls for a deeper reflection on the nature of internationalisation itself. How can we ensure that cross-border interactions and exchanges continue to foster a sense of global community and intercultural understanding, even in a world that is physically distanced? This chapter seeks to explore the profound implications of the pandemic on the internationalisation of higher education (IHE) in South Africa. It aims to critically examine the present challenges to internationalisation and the strategies that have been developed to address them in the context of the post-pandemic world. The chapter employs a critical reflection approach through the use of qualitative research, systematic literature review, and document analysis. By utilising these methodologies, it seeks to delve deeper into the implications of the pandemic on the IHE in South Africa.

The rapid advancement of Education Technology (EdTech) offers promising opportunities for educational institutions to integrate sustainable business practices into their operations and curriculum. The integration of EdTech into sustainability education has emerged as a powerful tool to promote environmental awareness, foster sustainable behavior, and address the pressing challenges of climate change and resource depletion. This chapter explores the growing significance of EdTech in sustainability education, analyzing its potential to cultivate a generation of environmentally conscious and responsible global citizens. It also aims at identifying and examining the most prominent emerging EdTech tools specifically designed to promote sustainability in educational settings. Furthermore, it aims to comprehend the institutional elements that have successfully incorporated and expanded the utilization of EdTech tools to promote enduring business practices. Additionally, the chapter addresses the challenges and obstacles faced by educational institutions in adopting and implementing these technologies and propose strategies to overcome these barriers.

Metaverse means a world in which virtual and reality interact and co-evolve, and social, economic, and cultural activities are carried out in it immersively. In this scenario, it goes beyond just combining the physical and virtual worlds – there is a continuity between them, creating an ecosystem that merges the two universes (physical and virtual). This scenario is considered an innovative educational environment that enhances technologies related to the metaverse, which results in the fusion of resources and elements from the real with the virtual. Thus, the goal of this chapter is to map what an innovative digital learning environment with the metaverse looks like. In order to address these issues, a comprehensive and integrative review was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. (1) What is the metaverse? and (2) How can metaverse be used to create a cutting-edge digital learning environment? Results show that the metaverse may be integrated with problem-based learning, gamification, and maker culture approaches to create an even more creative and successful learning environment. This chapter will give an illustration of how a creative digital learning environment may be created utilizing the metaverse.

The change in the technological environment within the macro-environment factors in recent years affects states, businesses, societies and individuals and concerns not only technology-based sectors but also many fields. In particular, trends such as artificial intelligence, metaverse, robotics, advanced connectivity, the Internet of Things, big data, small data, blockchain, cloud technologies and reality technologies, which are called new technology, are developing very quickly compared to the past and expanding their global usage areas. Creating strategies and policies without considering these factors creates problems in many areas. These problems are marketing, competition, cost, efficiency and productivity.

Reality technologies, which are the research area in this chapter and enable users to interact with the digital world, have a wide application area in the tourism industry. With technological tools such as smartphones and virtual reality (VR) glasses; personalisation, interactive experience, information gathering and decision-making; many different solutions are produced in areas such as education, service and security. Along with its many advantages, the disadvantages of reality technologies and the negative outputs of this transformation are significant for the understanding and future of the subject.

This study analyzes the digital competencies and the attitude toward the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in secondary school teachers of the Javier Heraud Public Educational Institution, Lima, Peru, according to the technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) model, which focuses on knowledge about technology knowledge (TK), pedagogical content (PK) and content knowledge (CK). This implies that it is important to take these components into account in the development of teaching work, in order to contribute to the quality of student learning, within the framework of the restrictions established due to the global health emergency. The study is based on the quantitative approach, type of correlational research and cross-sectional design, the sample consisted of 106 secondary education teachers, questionnaire was applied which were validated by five experts and its reliability was analyzed by the values obtained for Cronbach's alpha, for the digital competencies variable α = 0.861 and for the variable attitude toward the use of ICT α = 0.854. It has been shown that there is a relationship between digital competencies and the attitude toward the use of information and communication technologies in teachers of a Peruvian Public Educational Institution.

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to identify various factors that may influence the adoption of online education by students in higher education institutions (HEIs) and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) post-COVID-19.

Need for the Study: The study addresses the need to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, as emphasised by SDG4. It focuses on lifelong learning opportunities and aims to understand the impact of online education on students in HEIs. By identifying the factors that influence adoption, the study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies for promoting online education.

Methodology: The study utilises a framework incorporating the use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software. The framework allows for the analysis of the collected data’s reliability, validity and adequacy.

Findings: The study’s findings indicate that providing students with affordable online higher education can facilitate skill enhancement and create job opportunities. These findings highlight the potential of online education in contributing to the achievement of SDGs, particularly SDG4.

Practical Implications: The practical implications of the study suggest that promoting affordable online higher Education can have a positive impact on students, enabling them to acquire new skills and access job opportunities. By embracing online education, institutions can contribute to the advancement of SDGs and ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

This chapter unpacks how the value of altruism is rooted in the pedagogical model used by Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL), a faith-based organization providing tertiary education opportunities through a blended learning approach to people living at the margins. This contribution aims at tracing how this value, summarized in the Jesuit motto “men and women for others,” is rooted in JWL modus operandi and informs its educational practices, in particular by discussing the following elements of its model: (1) the Experience – Reflection – Action cycle, (2) the Global Classroom, (3) the Local Community of Learners, and (4) the student-led operation mode. Finally, this chapter provides a reflection, based on the organization practice and experience, to contribute to the broader discussion on values and their global validity by unpacking the tension of a modus operandi based on values culturally and religiously rooted but that aims at being globally understood and shared.

Education to an international standard that can provide successful careers has arguably been the main drive of many parents to allocate scarce financial resources to the education of their progenies. Competition for high-calibre degrees has seen an explosion of opportunity in the private education sector. As many Global South countries do not have the equivalent control of standards provided in the United Kingdom (UK) by the Quality Assurance Agency, this can lead to dissatisfaction with the qualifications received in the Global South. This chapter aims to explore the factors influencing participation in higher education in the Global North versus the Global South, particularly where these relate to or vary by locality, and the relative influence these have on the propensity of the learners living in these areas to progress into higher education in local universities. The conceptual framework and methodology provided in this chapter show the differences between transnational education (TNE) as primarily a standalone or independent activity supported by a UK higher education institution (HEI)/provider versus being a collaborative effort between a UK host university and a South/Southeast Asian HEI university partner. The methodology provides a strategy for UK host institutions to best provide carefully aligned independent or collaborative partnerships with the partner country regulatory bodies. The chapter concludes with the author’s personal reflections and recommendations based on decades of collaborative and independent university provision of TNE. These reflections are focused on design-based courses in selected South/Southeast Asian HEI partnerships with the College of Architecture and Design at Birmingham City University.