Reinventing Universities: Navigating Technological and Ideological Disruptions In the 21st Century

Tudor Țiclău, Cristina Hințea

Abstract


Universities have historically been pivotal in socie­tal development, serving primarily as (1) ‘knowledge generating institutions’, (2) structural elements of the welfare state promoting the democratization of education, and (3) direct contributors to economic development and social integration.

Despite their consolidated and expanded roles, the 21st century presents a series of profound chal­lenges that threaten these traditional functions and the legitimacy of their position. These challenges include (1) increased competition from non-aca­demic actors, (2) shifts in political ideologies, and (3) rapid technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence. Collectively, these factors pose a potential existential threat to the traditional model of the university. This essay critically examines the current position of universities amidst these disrup­tive changes and explores the pressures to reinvent themselves to preserve their role as essential con­tributors to human development.


Keywords


disruptive change; authority erosion; knowledge generation; digital society artificial intelligence; social media impact; ideological shifts; higher education challenges; educational transformation.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/tras.SI2024.18 Creative Commons License
Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences by TRAS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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