Higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide are being reshaped by digital technologies that touch every part of the institution, from classroom pedagogy to research infrastructure to administrative governance. This paper examines digital transformation in higher education as a global institutional phenomenon, distinct from any single national or regional context, and asks what generic drivers push institutions along a continuum from nascent to transformative digital maturity. Drawing on the literature on digital-transformation frameworks, technology-adoption theory, and Education 4.0, the paper identifies six interacting driver categories – technological, pedagogical, organizational/leadership, human/adoption, external/labour-market, and policy/systemic – and proposes a maturity-continuum model that links these drivers to institutional progression. The paper also considers the human costs of transformation, including technostress and unequal readiness across disciplines, and concludes with implications for institutional leaders seeking to manage digital transformation deliberately rather than reactively.
Keywords: Digital Transformation, Higher Education, Institutional Change, Education 4.0, Digital Maturity, Technology Adoption, Digital Leadership.
Related Post