[Paper Review] Implications of the Fourth Industrial Age on Higher Education

Bo Xing, Tshilidzi Marwala|arXiv (Cornell University)|Mar 17, 2017

Information Retrieval and Data Mining3 references117 citations

TL;DR

The paper qualitatively analyzes how HE 4.0, driven by AI, could transform university missions (teaching, research, service) and necessitate interdisciplinary approaches embracing man–machine convergence.

ABSTRACT

Higher education in the fourth industrial revolution, HE 4.0, is a complex, dialectical and exciting opportunity which can potentially transform society for the better. The fourth industrial revolution is powered by artificial intelligence and it will transform the workplace from tasks based characteristics to the human centred characteristics. Because of the convergence of man and machine, it will reduce the subject distance between humanities and social science as well as science and technology. This will necessarily require much more interdisciplinary teaching, research and innovation. This paper explores the impact of HE 4.0 on the mission of a university which is teaching, research (including innovation) and service.

Motivation & Objective

• Examine how the fourth industrial revolution (HE 4.0) can transform higher education institutions.
• Analyze how AI-driven convergence affects teaching, research, and service missions.
• Discuss the need for interdisciplinary teaching, research, and innovation.
• Explore how the convergence of humans and machines impacts humanities, social sciences, science, and technology.

Proposed method

• Conceptual, qualitative analysis of the implications of HE 4.0 for university missions.
• Discussion of the convergence of human and machine capabilities.
• Examination of the potential for interdisciplinary teaching, research, and innovation.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How does HE 4.0 influence the mission of universities (teaching, research, service)?
• RQ2 What changes in teaching, research, and innovation are necessitated by AI-driven Fourth Industrial Age?
• RQ3 What are the implications of the convergence of humans and machines for interdisciplinary education and scholarship?

Key findings

• HE 4.0 presents a complex and exciting opportunity to transform society.
• AI-driven convergence reduces subject distance between humanities/social sciences and science/technology.
• Interdisciplinary teaching, research, and innovation become more necessary in HE 4.0.
• Universities must adapt to integrate human-centered characteristics into the workplace and education.