Editorial: Education and Advances in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution was touted to transform human ecology as a whole and the world of work in particular. Fomunyam (2019) posited that more than three hundred million jobs would be lost to automation and other innovations. This means that a good number of graduates would never be able to find a job. Fomunyam (2020) adds that academics need re-engineering the curriculum and all that matters about it in the bit to be responsive. Responsiveness is of prime importance for all aspects of education because without it, education would not be fit for purpose and would lack value for money which are key hallmarks of quality. How are academics responding to the advances or innovation brought about by the fourth industrial revolution in all fields of education? How is education shaping or fostering advances in the fourth industrial revolution? What must be done to ensure that graduates develop skills which would still be valuable in the market place? Schwab (2016) argue that with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, the type of skills value would shift from hard to soft skills. How have universities adjusted to these demands to ensure that graduates who are being trained are not obsolete both in the now and in the future. These amongst others are questions which have been answered. This special issue seeks to explore these issues from all disciplines in education, with particularly attention to interdisciplinary research to explore how education is being shaped or adapting to the advances made by the fourth industrial revolution and it is in-turn shaping the revolution.