Professor Klaus Schwab has a new book out... #TFTR26
"What will universities look like in the age of artificial intelligence?
We are entering a transformation that reaches far beyond educational reform. The Intelligent Age, shaped by artificial intelligence, exponential technologies, and deep societal change, questions the very purpose of universities, the role of professors, and the expectations placed on students. It challenges not only how we teach but why we educate.
Higher education stands at a decisive moment. Universities can help societies master the Intelligent Age, or risk losing relevance and public trust. What is at stake is not only employability or institutional prestige but the capacity of societies to preserve truth, cultivate judgment, and sustain human and democratic values in a technology-driven world.
The book 'Universities, Professors and Students in the Intelligent Age' is written from a clear conviction: incremental adjustments are no longer sufficient. Artificial intelligence is transforming how knowledge is created, validated, and shared. Universities must therefore rethink their mission, moving beyond episodic education toward lifelong learning, interdisciplinary integration, and responsibility toward society.
The perspective offered here is shaped by my own path as a professor and by decades of close engagement with universities worldwide, as well as by my work in building and leading global institutions. It also draws on my reflections in 'Restoring Truth and Trust in the Intelligent Age', arguing that technological progress must be accompanied by a renewed commitment to truth, responsibility, and institutional integrity.
Yet the central challenge of the Intelligent Age is not technological; it is human. Our ability to compute and optimize has advanced faster than our ability to contextualize, exercise judgment, and act responsibly. Professors must increasingly serve as mentors and ethical guides; students must become active co-creators of their learning; universities must reclaim their role as institutions of wisdom and public purpose.
The book speaks not only to academic leaders, professors, and students but also to parents, policymakers, business leaders, and citizens. The future of innovation, social cohesion, and democratic resilience depends on how higher education evolves."
.