Launching the Higher Education and Future of Work program with IBM

The Center for the Governance of Change has signed a collaboration agreement with IBM Research to scientifically explore connections between higher education coursework and job listings in both the United States and Europe.

This project will leverage IE and IBM Research’s artificial intelligence expertise (specifically, machine learning-based semantic analysis) to generate the highest resolution dataset to date on the information and skills students are receiving in their tertiary education programs, both in the United States and in several countries in Europe.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from IE and IBM will obtain the curricular and extracurricular content of universities’ programs and vocational education institutions, as well as the demands of the labor market, and compare them. This should provide insights for:

1) governments who want to adapt their education systems to new realities,

2) companies that can fill gaps by recruiting from under explored institutions and geographies,

3) Students choosing courses and additional trainings.

"We are hoping to understand how institutions of learning are serving young people in the changing labour market and how this can be improved." said Carlos Lastra, Research Director of the Program.

The "Higher Education and the Future of Work" report is expected to be released in 2021.