Rethinking Higher Education: The Power of Openness for a Just and Sustainable Future

In a recent keynote address, Dr. Catherine Cronin, an independent open scholar from Galway, Ireland, presented the vision behind the open access book 'Higher Education for Good: Teaching and Learning Futures.' The book, which features contributions from over 70 authors and artists across 18 countries, advocates for a higher education system that is just, humane, and globally sustainable. Dr. Cronin explored the connections between openness—including Open Educational Resources (OER), Open Educational Practices (OEP), and open values—and the creation of a better future for education. She invited participants to reflect on how these principles can be applied to their own teaching and learning practices, emphasizing that 'goodness' is relational and contextual. The talk, part of the OE Bootcamp event held on May 16, 2024, challenges the status quo and encourages a reimagining of higher education in the face of intersecting global crises.