University Disrupted

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, work, and produce knowledge, with profound implications for universities. In a rapidly changing technological landscape, this insightful book examines the twin questions of value and legitimacy: What does higher education still offer, and who will continue to invest in it? And can universities maintain the legitimacy on which their authority depends?Simon Chesterman and Hui-chieh Loy situate the current moment in the longer history of higher education, tracing the persistent tension between the university as an engine of economic growth and as an institution serving a wider public good. Moving beyond immediate debates about cheating, plagiarism, and AI literacy, the book explores how AI is reshaping teaching, credentialling, research, administration, and the modern social contract that has sustained universities for the past century. Neither alarmist nor complacent, it maps possible futures for higher education and asks what universities must do to remain valuable, legitimate, and distinctively human in the age of AI.Timely, provocative, and practical, The University Disrupted is essential reading for university leaders and policymakers navigating institutional change. It will also benefit scholars and researchers of higher education leadership and management, particularly those interested in the role of artificial intelligence.