Author(s): Zahid Hussain Bhat
The COVID-19 pandemic that swept the globe in 2020 and put every country on strict lockdown regulations froze the global academic infrastructure. It was mandated that teachers and students work and study from home. Academic activities that had previously relied solely on face-to-face encounters have been sustained by the abrupt emergence of the virtual world as an inescapable and pervasive artifice. This article examines how the global pandemic has radically transformed global higher education. As colleges and universities have collapsed, an effort is being made to illustrate how the growth of information and communication technologies has affected the future viability of institutions. In the absence of a coordinated national response to the public health problem, the COVID-19 restrictions have made the digital gap more pronounced in all contexts for teaching and learning. Additionally, several suppositions, perspectives, and insights are recommended for educators and practitioners to investigate during and after the pandemic to inspire, challenge, and connect them.