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ABSTRACTWith the onset of the
Coronavirus outbreak, universities and educational centers across the world
were forced to close down campuses and to move toward online education and the
use of digital tools. Presently, more than 1.5 billion students around the
world have been affected by the closure of schools and universities because of
the COVID-19 spreading. The International Association of Universities is an
independent global non-governmental organization affiliated with UNESCO,
founded in 1950. The association is currently monitoring the impacts of
COVID-19 on higher education across the world. This is the first investigation
of the impact of COVID-19 on higher education at the global level, with its
report released in early May. In September 2019, the second global survey in
this regard was conducted with member organizations around the world. The
purpose of the surveys was to investigate the basic challenges of universities
and higher education institutions in facing this disease of the century in
short-, medium- and long-terms, as well as to provide basic solutions to help
solve existing challenges. In the present
article, which was performed as a review study via searching for the latest
information available on the credible international organizations’ websites,
including those of the Centers for Disease Control, the International
Organization of Universities, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and
the World Health Organization, the objective was to investigate the impacts of
COVID-19 pandemic impacts on higher education and the latest developments on
the impact of COVID-19 on universities and training centers, and to provide
recommendations and initiatives in this connection. It also provides an
opportunity for exchanging information and providing a selection of the latest
international news in this regard. Also, in this article, some of the latest
recommendations by higher education institutions to continue teaching and
learning activities during the social, economic, cultural and health crisis on
COVID-19 were explored.
Keywords: covid 19, challenges,
Higher education, response
With the onset of the
Coronavirus outbreak, universities and educational centers across the world
were forced to close down campuses and to move toward online education and the
use of digital tools. Presently, more than 1.5 billion students around the
world have been affected by the closure of schools and universities because of
the COVID-19 spreading. The International Association of Universities is an
independent global non-governmental organization affiliated with UNESCO,
founded in 1950. The association is currently monitoring the impacts of
COVID-19 on higher education across the world. This is the first investigation
of the impact of COVID-19 on higher education at the global level, with its
report released in early May. In September 2019, the second global survey in
this regard was conducted with member organizations around the world. The
purpose of the surveys was to investigate the basic challenges of universities
and higher education institutions in facing this disease of the century in
short-, medium- and long-terms, as well as to provide basic solutions to help
solve existing challenges. In the present
article, which was performed as a review study via searching for the latest
information available on the credible international organizations’ websites,
including those of the Centers for Disease Control, the International
Organization of Universities, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and
the World Health Organization, the objective was to investigate the impacts of
COVID-19 pandemic impacts on higher education and the latest developments on
the impact of COVID-19 on universities and training centers, and to provide
recommendations and initiatives in this connection. It also provides an
opportunity for exchanging information and providing a selection of the latest
international news in this regard. Also, in this article, some of the latest
recommendations by higher education institutions to continue teaching and
learning activities during the social, economic, cultural and health crisis on
COVID-19 were explored.