Rethinking Pedagogy in Higher Education Amid Turbulent Times

Global challenges (labour market expectations, digital technology, the massing of higher education) are constantly changing the way higher education is managed. Responses to change can be planned. Responses from higher education stakeholders can be interesting and instructive for other institutions, as these examples can be incorporated into their own responses. The purpose of the study is to present the top-down ped- agogical reform process that started in 2019 at the University of Public Service in Budapest. Although initiated by the university’s educational strategy, its implementation depends on the teachers who have actively created innovative pedagogical spaces that ensure sustainability. These innovative spaces include training sessions for teachers, workshops, thematic discussions on teaching methodology, methodological publications, research and the annual Innovative Department Award. The stages of the process and the results and challenges of each stage were documented using a case study method. The description helps to illustrate how a process of pedagogical reform, with which the university leadership’s goal is rapid, systemic change affecting the work of hundreds of teachers, can be developed and sustained on the basis of commitment from teachers and institutional determination.