Below is a curated digest of remaining audience questions from our live call ...

[Jonas] I like the idea of a "community of communities." How can we use this moment to evolve and advance higher ed as a whole? What is the role of elite institutions (like MIT and UCB) in working with community colleges or lower-resourced populations in carving a new path forward?

[Darcie] How do we move toward this vision (that Otto described) with leaders who primarily operate at early stages of vertical development?

Related Q’s:
[Lina]: How to open professors’ recognition of other ‘ways of knowing’ and knowledge / wisdom??

[Sarah]: I'm struck by the need for massive system redesigns. In terms of changing the underlying systems, I often see the issues in terms of logistical limitations, such as faculty unions, academic program accreditation, and the need for employers to "know" that students have the knowledge to be successful in the field via specific certifications. How do we as individuals in institutions work to change things on this large scale given those realities?

Related Q’s:
[Divyanshi]: Why are we still talking about innovations within the system? Why are we questioning the idea of University, while still being within it? Why are we not stepping out to see what is then the NEW University?

[Trishna]: I'm curious to know where in a child's education journey you feel the transformation needs to start from? Do you feel transformation will start from higher education and trickle down, or from nursery and move up in order to lasting and effective long-term?

Related Q’s:
[John]: 17 year old Greta Thunberg and other similarly young activists are having a huge impact in the world. These young people are in the K-12 education system. How can we build bridges between the K-12 system and the higher education system? Should these two systems be thought of as separate, siloed systems or a continuum of formal education?
[Chomba]: Sounds like higher education could start with the Waldorf Model of engaging the whole person……heart, head and hands extended to the university situation…..
[Anon]: I believe the root issues in education are at the K-12 level. Unless we address those school level problems we cannot add much value for the need to re-imagine higher education. Example - US is way toward bottom per PISA scores. I would like to recommend the recent book World Class by Teru Clavel. Otto just brought up this issue in the context of the Scandinavian countries.

[Mukta]: Thank you, love the concept of Transformational Literacy, how do we begin the conversations to the stakeholders who are concerned with the instant financial ROI, not the long term benefits?

Related Q’s:
[Eduardo]: Are there any innovative and transformative financial models being discussed to address the high cost of college tuition which exacerbates educational inequality?
[Thierry] I'd like to hear something about the importance of private company influences on the university system. I feel that the university is no longer made to help citizens to become creative and autonomous, but to become "workforce" the companies and old systems need…
[Brinda]: Remote learning has exposed many social inequities (lack of internet access, lack of quiet study space, financial insecurity) for our students. What can teachers do to best serve students with head/heart/hands in this space?

[Joserra]: for you three, what are SOME of the most relevant system-change questions that need to be asked right now in high ed spaces?

[Judy]: I am an 80 year old grandmother. I am very concerned with the educational system for my grandchildren and their feeling of disconnection at this time. I am in Austin, Texas. How as a grandmother and a continual learner can we elders encourage and assist the next generations in awareness?

[Rakesh]: Different subjects are just different aspects of the same field of Life most universities are too expensive for normal people, so you only go for a return on your investment i.e. to get a job. Real learning you have to do in your own time on the side foraging resources wherever you can find. The question is, how do you find real teachers?

Related question:
[Thomas]: How do we integrate the profound wisdom of ancient spiritual traditions which give us access and vocabulary to the depth of soul necessary for transformation?

[Mila] How can we create higher education that mimics the Finland radical education experiment: scrapping traditional “teaching by subject” in favour of “teaching by topic" (phenomenon teaching)? This is in order to better prepare people for working life and society.

[Lydia]: Can you eliminate PhD requirements for higher ed -educators? And should Tenure track exist?

Related Questions:
[Betsy]: on economics of being a faculty member: institutions have been favoring reliance on contingent faculty for the past decade plus...making the profession decreasingly attractive or even possible economically. In another 10-20 years where will the faculty come from for the university of the future?

[Claudia]: Dear Prof Scharmer, I find your book The Essentials of Theory U simply amazing. The way you integrate many teachings in one theory that can be applied for better communication and co-creating at work, but I really have a hard time visualizing how you apply this is a "normal" company. How do managers react to "presencing" and "open heartedness"? Would love to hear your experiences in this area - Thanks a lot! I am Chilean living in Munich, German.

[Krista] Was there a particular program that Dacher uses for helping students identify their passions? How could one gain access to the questions? Thank you!