Libraries, Digital Information, and COVID: Practical Applications and Approaches to Challenge and Change: 13 - During COVID-19: Emerging themes in higher education

The higher education sector has completely transformed during the pandemic, starting from student recruitment until their journey in an institution.The educational institutions are still trying to make adjustments in their strategies and approaches to manage crises and communicate and engage with staff and students in different innovative ways. They also have to manage the mid- to long-term implications once people return to work. Another critical factor is to attend to the social and emotional needs of staff and students. According to the Collaborative for Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning (CASEL), the science of learning has found that one learns within social contexts, that emotions are essential for learning, and that the social brain is the leading force in cognition. This pandemic has magnified the challenges humanity is facing, like uneven opportunities that divide people. Decisions made today in the context of COVID-19 will have long-term consequences for the future of education.