Re-Imagining the University in a Time of Uncertainty

Dr. Daniel Clausen, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, Japan

The 2020s have been characterized by a surge of complex challenges, including pandemics, environmental crises, technological disruptions, and political polarization, to name just a few. Given that disruptions are only likely to increase, how can university educators and universities adapt? This short essay returns to the idea of the university and explores potential answers to this question.

Acknowledging the Uncertainties

It seems that we have always lived in anxious times. As someone who grew up during the Global War on Terror, I recall the profound uncertainty that hung over every moment. In a time when commercial airliners could be transformed into weapons and anthrax could be delivered through the mail, anything felt possible. My impression during this period was that it was just a matter of time before another shocking event would occur. History did not disappoint. The period from 2001 to 2020 witnessed environmental catastrophes (the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2011 triple disaster in Japan), a major financial crisis (the 2008 global financial crisis), and the rise of global populism, to name just a few major incidents.

Yet, even as someone who has lived in an era when one catastrophe seems to follow another, our current moment in history seems different—the speed, variety, and intensity of uncertainties seem to have grown. The current era is characterized by a surge in upheavals, evident in the manifestation of anti-globalization backlashes, the COVID-19 pandemic, the resurgence of territorial aggression, and the disruptive influence of generative artificial intelligence.

Of course, the classroom has not been immune to these uncertainties. Technological advances—such as the internet and smartphones, to say nothing (yet) of generative artificial intelligence—have already upended the traditional model of teachers as the storehouse of knowledge. Already, we see the influences as teachers are urged to be more creative and adaptable—turning their classrooms into project-based and exploratory spaces (for example, see Artaman & Budasi, 2015).

My own teaching and research has tended to favor a project-based approach, though often with boundaries and limitations that leave me feeling disappointed. However, experience has taught me that project-based learning can often be a commitment (a large one in terms of time and energy), a process (any project-based assignment usually does not go as well as one hopes the first time around), and also a kind of mirror—telling us important things about ourselves, our students, and the changes in the world around us.

Therefore, in the spirit of uncertainty, I suggest that project-based and exploratory learning be seen as both a solution and a problem. If you are a teacher who is not entirely comfortable with project-based learning or other approaches that extend students a vast amount of freedom to choose their own path of inquiry, my advice is simple: start small and expand your ambitions slowly.

Universities – Past, Present, Future

How can universities continue to thrive? A good starting point might be to revisit the fundamental concept of the university. Universities are typically viewed as institutions dedicated to critical inquiry and the creation of knowledge, generating insights that are both universal and generalizable. However, the purpose and organization of universities has evolved over time. In ancient Greece, for instance, learning institutions such as Plato's Academy used dialectical methods to refine ideas through continuous debate. During the medieval period, universities emerged across Europe as transnational centers of learning that often emphasized the liberal arts, including grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. While theological doctrine had a significant impact on these institutions, it was from these foundational beliefs that the creation of knowledge began to extend beyond religious frameworks. As the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, universities became more secular and specialized, organizing knowledge into disciplines and professional schools while striving to retain their core mission of nurturing well-rounded thinkers (see Newman, 1996; Perplexity AI, 2025, July 11; Turner, 2024).

Today, we may be witnessing a new phase. As Turner (2024) argues, this phase might be best described as a crisis characterized by “decline, irrelevance, and bureaucracy" (paragraph 4), perhaps ushering in a “post-university” era. However, another possibility is that universities will move away from rigid divisions of labor and return to a more integrated, holistic approach to learning and knowledge creation.

A transition away from narrowly defined fields toward more holistic knowledge creation is a good start for rethinking the role of universities in the 21st century (see Newman, 1996). A university that can attend to some of the spiritual needs of students—encouraging empathy, deep introspection, and self-awareness, and perhaps even the search for that ethereal thing called “wisdom”—on the surface would seem Pollyannaish. However, in a world of expanding techno-efficiency, an education grounded in moral and spiritual purpose might ironically be the most practical and realistic approach.

The other often articulated proposal for the ever-changing landscape of the 21st century is for schools to become more “entrepreneurial” (see Peschl et al., 2021). This involves teaching a range of skills, from need-finding and creativity to project management, time management, and risk calculation. What I have discovered in my own classes is that creating more project-based and challenge-based learning opportunities is easier said than done. Overseeing classes—especially large classes—that are engaged in projects is labor-intensive, particularly in relation to assignments that can be easily graded (such as objective tests). However, this very labor intensity proves that there is a role for human teachers that cannot easily be replaced by machines.

Conclusions…Lead to New Beginnings

It’s hard to know what the 21st century has in store for educators and students. In an environment of uncertainty, perhaps the best that one can do is constantly reevaluate and strategize. That being said, some themes have emerged from my reading and research:

• project-based learning that challenges students to design their own solutions and create value;
• universities that are willing to embrace more holistic, integrated knowledge creation, and perhaps even a moral and spiritual role;
• and nurturing empathetic students.

Though these conclusions may seem cursory—inadequate against the vagaries of a 21st century filled with endless surprises—it’s at the very least a starting point.

Daniel Clausen is an English language instructor at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies who has taught across the United States, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. He also conducts research in International Relations, with work appearing in publications such as The Diplomatic Courier and The Korean Journal of International Studies.