Key Takeaways
1. AI education is not about mastering tools, it’s about mastering continuous learning.
2. Universities must redesign assessment around real-world thinking, not memorisation.
3. Sustainability should shape research, teaching, operations and governance, not just infrastructure.
4. Women’s success must be measured beyond admissions and placements.
5. The future belongs to collaborative education ecosystems, not isolated institutions.
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Artificial Intelligence is more than another emerging technology, it is fundamentally reshaping how universities teach, assess, research and prepare learners for an increasingly uncertain future. As generative AI transforms classrooms and employers demand graduates equipped with critical thinking, adaptability and lifelong learning skills, higher education institutions are being challenged to rethink long-standing academic models and redefine the very purpose of a university degree.
India is projected to require nearly 1.25 million AI professionals by 2027. While the numbers appear daunting, Prof Ananya Mukherjee, Vice-Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, believes the bigger challenge lies not in producing more AI graduates, but in producing graduates who can continuously reinvent themselves.
“Universities have always balanced scale with depth,” she says. “What AI has changed is the speed at which both must now be achieved.”
According to her, no university can solve the AI talent challenge in isolation. The future depends on a collaborative ecosystem where industry, research institutions and universities work in tandem—continuously generating knowledge, bringing it into classrooms, and learning from real-world applications. Rather than chasing expertise that quickly becomes obsolete, universities must focus on building adaptive learners who can evolve alongside rapidly changing technologies.
As generative AI rapidly becomes a default study companion for students, it is also forcing universities to rethink one of the oldest pillars of higher education—assessment. Traditional examinations are increasingly being questioned, not merely because AI can write assignments, but because it is changing how students learn, think and demonstrate knowledge.
Yet, Prof Mukherjee stops short of declaring the traditional degree obsolete.
“The traditional degree isn’t broken,” she says. “It has been evolving for years. AI simply demands that evolution happen much faster.”
Instead of policing AI usage, she believes universities should redesign assessment itself. Imagine students walking into classrooms without prior preparation, receiving a live business case, an engineering challenge or a public policy problem, and collaborating to solve it under faculty observation. “Real life doesn’t give you pre-announced question papers,” she explains. The emphasis, therefore, should shift from remembering information to demonstrating judgement, collaboration and problem-solving—capabilities that AI cannot easily replace. Even more importantly, she advocates involving students themselves in redesigning future assessment systems.
In an exclusive conversation with ETEducation, Prof Mukherjee further shares her insights on sustainability in higher education, women’s workforce participation, the rising cost of quality education, and why universities must evolve into lifelong partners in learners’ journeys rather than institutions that merely confer degrees. Edited excerpts:
Q1. India needs nearly 1.25 million AI professionals by 2027. How do we reconcile scale with depth, and can India realistically build this talent pool within such a short timeframe?
Universities have always had to balance scale with depth. What AI has changed is the speed at which both must now be achieved.
The biggest requirement today is deep collaboration among stakeholders. Industry is generating and applying new knowledge, research institutions are advancing it, and universities are responsible for disseminating it. But this can no longer happen in a linear sequence because knowledge itself is evolving continuously.
Equally important is a stronger integration between research and teaching. Faculty members cannot simply teach existing concepts—they must remain actively engaged with research so that classrooms reflect the latest developments.
Much of the current conversation focuses on training students to use AI tools. While that is necessary, it represents only a small part of the challenge. AI technologies and applications are evolving so rapidly that today’s expertise can quickly become outdated. The real objective should therefore be to create agile learners who can continuously adapt and reskill.
Traditionally, universities have excelled at long-term education rather than continuous learning. That is why partnerships with industry and practitioners have become indispensable. Only through such collaboration can universities ensure that research, teaching and workforce needs remain closely aligned.
Q2. With students increasingly relying on AI tools for assignments and projects, is the traditional degree based on written evaluation becoming obsolete?
I wouldn’t say the traditional degree is fundamentally broken. Universities have been evolving for years—online education, digital learning and the changes brought about by the pandemic have already transformed higher education. AI is simply accelerating this transformation at an unprecedented pace.
- What certainly requires rethinking is assessment.
- Instead of relying primarily on written examinations, universities should move towards assessments rooted in human interaction, collaborative problem-solving and real-world simulations. If students are presented with an unfamiliar case during class and asked to solve it collectively, they cannot outsource that thinking to AI.
- Life rarely presents neatly structured questions with predetermined answers. Whether responding to an organisational crisis or an unexpected climate event, individuals must analyse situations, think critically and make decisions in real time. Assessment should reflect these realities.
- Another important step is involving students themselves in redesigning evaluation systems. Ask them to step into the shoes of educators and employers. If the industry expects graduates with strong cognitive abilities while students increasingly rely on AI, how should universities respond?
- Bringing together students, alumni, recruiters, entrepreneurs and faculty to co-create solutions can produce valuable insights. The future of higher education is no longer about one teacher transferring knowledge to one student. It is about creating ecosystems where all stakeholders contribute to learning.
“The real challenge isn’t teaching students to use AI. It’s preparing them to keep learning long after today’s AI becomes obsolete.”— Prof Ananya Mukherjee |
Q3. Sustainability discussions often focus on green campuses. How do you measure sustainability beyond infrastructure?
At Shiv Nadar University, we have begun undertaking a comprehensive assessment of our Scope 3 emissions because sustainability extends well beyond installing solar panels or adopting renewable energy. As a research-intensive residential university, we must understand the environmental impact of everything—from laboratories and research infrastructure to transportation, conferences and campus operations.
Switching to renewable energy alone is insufficient if overall energy consumption continues to rise. Sustainable campuses require both cleaner energy sources and responsible consumption. This remains a work in progress, but we are working closely with industry partners to better understand our environmental footprint and identify practical solutions.
We are also exploring how digital technologies can help us monitor energy usage across every building, laboratory and learning space while progressing towards our long-term net-zero ambitions.
How is Shiv Nadar University embedding sustainability?✓ Scope 3 emissions assessment |
Q4. Can you share examples of sustainability initiatives already underway at the university?
Several initiatives are already in motion.
We have consciously reduced travel by encouraging hybrid participation in global conferences wherever appropriate. We’re investing in alternative energy solutions, despite the complexities that come with maintaining highly sophisticated scientific infrastructure.
We are also making university events significantly more sustainable. For example, our convocation ceremonies now rely far more on digital elements while reducing material-intensive decorations and waste.
Our larger vision is to build a digitally enabled green campus where technology helps monitor resource consumption across every facility.
However, sustainability also depends on local realities. Operating a fully residential campus in a region experiencing extreme temperatures—often exceeding 50 degrees Celsius—and intense rainfall presents unique challenges. Water conservation, energy efficiency and climate resilience therefore require continuous innovation rather than one-time interventions.
Importantly, sustainability cannot remain confined to campus operations. It must become integral to teaching, research and student engagement. This integrated approach has also contributed to our significant improvement in international sustainability rankings over the past few years.
Q5. Female enrolment in higher education continues to rise, yet women’s workforce participation remains relatively low. Are universities celebrating access while overlooking outcomes?
The rise in women’s enrolment is certainly worth celebrating—but not because of the numbers alone.
Every young woman who enters higher education represents aspiration, determination and often the successful overcoming of significant social, economic or cultural barriers. That is what deserves recognition.
However, when those aspirations fail to translate into meaningful careers, we also witness tremendous unrealised human potential.
Universities therefore, cannot consider their responsibility complete once students secure their first jobs.
Schools, universities, employers and governments must work together throughout an individual’s professional journey. Universities should remain connected with alumni, facilitate peer mentoring, and collaborate with industry to understand where women exit the workforce and why.
Addressing women’s career continuity requires systematic research rather than isolated anecdotes. Only by understanding these patterns across the entire lifecycle can institutions develop meaningful interventions.
Ultimately, education should remain invested in people—not just until graduation, but throughout their careers.
Q6. With rising tuition fees, are universities becoming aspirational brands rather than public institutions serving society?
The financial burden on students is undoubtedly real. At the same time, universities themselves are experiencing rapidly rising costs, particularly in faculty recruitment, research infrastructure and academic excellence.
The larger question, however, is not whether institutions are public or private. It is whether every student, regardless of where they study, has access to a high-quality multidisciplinary education.
No student today can graduate without some understanding of technology, regardless of discipline. Equally, students in technical fields need exposure to the humanities and social sciences. This multidisciplinary vision aligns strongly with the National Education Policy.
The Last Word“Our responsibility is not simply to educate students for their first job. It is to prepare them for a lifetime of learning, adaptation and contribution. That requires universities to think differently—not only about what they teach, but how they collaborate, how they assess and how they define success.” — Prof Ananya Mukherjee |
India cannot rely on a handful of elite universities alone. We need stronger regional ecosystems where clusters of institutions share infrastructure, collaborate on research and collectively improve educational quality.
Students in Tier II and Tier III cities should have confidence that the universities available to them can provide the knowledge and skills necessary to build successful careers.
Likewise, employers must move beyond institutional hierarchies and recognise talent wherever it exists. Our collective challenge is to democratise opportunities and ensure that human potential is not determined by institutional labels.
Q7. Finally, what is one uncomfortable truth about Indian higher education that leaders rarely discuss publicly?
Much has been said about students having shorter attention spans, but this is not merely a student issue—it reflects a broader societal shift.
As a society, we may no longer be thinking as deeply about complex problems as they deserve.
Universities today face multiple simultaneous challenges—AI, climate change, rising costs, changing learner expectations and evolving workforce demands. Yet we don’t always discuss whether our own decision-making processes are robust enough to address these interconnected issues.
Sometimes, quick decisions are unavoidable. But institutions must also create structured spaces for thoughtful deliberation before making long-term choices. The real conversation should not simply be about responding to today’s challenges, but about strengthening the processes through which universities make decisions for the future.
