This special issue is about partnerships for scaled online learning and the unbundling of the traditional university. We are excited by the emerging models that are showcased; they are more diverse than we had originally envisaged. We hope this issue will be considered by readers as a valuable and timely contribution to a wider conversation about partnership and unbundling. There are clearly opportunities for creative and transformational thinking and practice as we move towards a more digitally integrated future for higher education. In this editorial, we outline the varied contributions and place them in the context of a wider discussion about higher education, for now and for a post-COVID world.