This week, results of a study commissioned by Northeastern on public perception of higher education were published.

The study found Americans have great confidence in the quality of higher education in the United States — three out of four of them said it’s among the best in the world. But at the same time, 83 percent of respondents said reform in higher education needs to happen in order for the nation to remain competitive globally.

The higher education system in the US is without a doubt at a crossroads. The web is growing. People from opposite sides of the globe are now more connected to one another than ever. This is all great, but with all these changes, there’s great responsibility in a very special way for colleges and universities. It’s the duty of these institutions to keep up with what’s going on in the world and prepare students to enter it.

And with a venture capitalist group for students’ ideas, a expansive online learning program and a focus on national expansion, Northeastern is at the forefront of it all.

President Joseph E. Aoun has been a very active presence across many initiatives for education reform. Aoun, who along with being president of Northeastern serves as the board chair for the American Council on Education, wrote in a recent Boston Globe op-ed that “we are witnessing the end of higher education as we know it.”

Aoun cited MOOCs, or “massive open online courses” as a main factor that is pushing traditional universities to innovate.

“As more students wonder why they should pay for a campus-based college education when they can take online courses for low or no cost instead, colleges and universities will have to demonstrate the benefit they provide more powerfully than ever,” Aoun wrote. “Those that can differentiate themselves and prove their ‘value-add’ will succeed — and those that can’t will fail.”

Having a leader like Aoun be at the forefront of changes in higher education can only be an asset for Northeastern as the university tries to navigate uncharted waters.

Every institution of higher education in this country owes it to itself and to its students to remain globally competitive. Keep an eye out for what Northeastern does next. Believe it or not, there may still be a lot more opportunities that remain to be explored.