One of the elements that characterise the best universities is the quality of their classrooms, the technology that is available to students and teachers. Having top technology in our classrooms and updating it on a regular basis is essential to face crises like the current one. The universities that use technology have been able to provide real, interactive, quality education, maintaining their educational standards during this pandemic.

We have great examples in Harvard’s digital classrooms, which have been in place since 2014 with the Harvard Business School Online (HBS) project. They have combined video conferencing software with television hardware to create more dynamic experiences for students. 

Meanwhile, Japan is known for its use of cutting-edge technology, and it demonstrates this in many areas. In the area of education, Japan has been a pioneer in the use of digital whiteboards and digital study books, as well as having innovative platforms for the delivery of online classes.

The facilities at the Osaka Institute of Technology, where I teach regularly, allow for face-to-face and online learning models to be implemented simultaneously, to adapt to students who are unable to attend class, so they do not lose out.

Even more impressive are the facilities at Clemson University that allow for interactive, blended learning classes and, where necessary, have made it easier to maintain normality in terms of training.

There is no doubt that online learning is essential in overcoming physical barriers, offering study alternatives, and those institutions that go one step further in this regard, using cutting-edge technologies, will be the educational leaders of the future.