Inner Transformation for 21st-Century Futures: The Missing Dimension in Higher Education

We live in times of great global risks and problems that pose multiple wic­ked, inter­depen­dent challenges, such as climate change, environmental degradation, social ine­qualities, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainty. Primary responses to these issues have mostly focused on the scientific accumulation of knowledge that is applied to designing technological innovations or reshaping the economy. Yet there are considerable limits to this approach: It neglects a significant dimension of human experience, namely, that of our inner worlds comprising worldviews, values, belief, spirituality, and consciousness. This article argues for blending disciplinary specialisms with holistic perspectives that enable us to appreciate the big picture, while understanding our individual and col­lective roles in society and on this planet. In so doing it canvasses the implications for profound reform of higher education institutions and learning.