The future of work in an academic context

The senior management of the University of Twente wanted to think through what the coronavirus pandemic would mean for the campus in the long term. How and where do we work? How can we adapt our facilities to that? What does it ask of our digital infrastructure?

Jester Strategy worked with senior management on scenario thinking. A core team and a group of 20 leaders from various faculties and services reflected on trends, their impact and what they mean for how we work, study and spend time at the university in the future. The target year for the scenarios is 2030, in line with the long-term vision Shaping 2030.

The future scenarios are used in two ways. First, senior management brainstorms about what the scenarios mean for how and where staff work. The core team formulates draft principles for hybrid working and the physical and digital infrastructure, validated with 70 stakeholders. Second, the scenarios are used to stress-test the long-term strategic housing plan.