Can the New COVID-19 Normal Help to Achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4?

Against the backdrop of the ongoing global pandemic, this chapter seeks to identify whether the new COVID-19 normal can help to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 more effectively. It looks at the impact of digitalisation at the tertiary level by taking account of a number of current global phenomena such as the massification and diversification of Higher Education and the sustainable development goals. It addresses four out of seven outcome targets with the aim to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. There is evidence that the ongoing digital transformation has a deep impact on the educational landscape, resulting in more flexible and dynamic curricula and teaching and learning paths. It was also found that digital tools and online environments have the potential to allow for more individualised study trajectories. In addition, digital approaches foster cross-border cooperation and enable sustainable solutions for contemporary grand challenges. On a more critical note, however, digitalisation is only one key to success and must be accompanied by a variety of interconnected measures that align with the requirements of the global knowledge society.