Machine learning: universities ready students for AI revolution

Sydney’s move towards programmes focused on problem-solving designed to address rise of artificial intelligence and automation

A vice-chancellor’s call for universities to train undergraduates “to tell the machines what to do” has rekindled debate about how higher education institutions can best prepare their students for the jobs of the future.

Michael Spence outlined plans for the University of Sydney to move towards offering four-year degrees with a greater focus on problem-solving and cultural competency as sector leaders around the world debate whether the rise of artificial intelligence and automation will require providers to prioritise specialist skills in areas such as coding, or broad knowledge that will allow graduates to adapt to a changing workplace.

The shift towards longer degrees also runs counter to the push in the UK for more two-year degrees, designed to allow students to start their career more quickly and more cheaply.

In an interview with Times Higher Education, Dr Spence outlined how Sydney had streamlined its 122 degree programmes – a portfolio based on the supposition that “if you enter a narrow tube that has a job name at one end, at the other end you’ll plop out into the job” – to just 25.

The rise of AI means that such jobs “may not exist by the time you end up there, or at least won’t necessarily have any longevity”, Dr Spence said.

Next year, Sydney will introduce a four-year bachelor of advanced studies degree, combining specialism in a discipline with the option of taking a second “major”, foreign language training, international mobility, and cultural competency training.

The signature element of the programme is an extended problem-solving project, where multidisciplinary teams of students work together to tackle a real-life challenge set by a business or charity.