Ep. 27 The Future of Higher Education with Nick Dirks

In this episode of Unfixed, we talk with Nicholas (Nick) Dirks, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences and former Chancellor of UC Berkeley, about what AI really means for the future of higher education. Rather than treating generative AI as just another technological shift, Dirks helps us unpack where institutions may be misreading the moment—and what a serious response could look like. We explore the growing pressures on universities, from legitimacy and funding to enrollment and disruption, and what role they should play in a rapidly changing world. The conversation ultimately asks a bigger question: what is the university actually for in the decades ahead?Nicholas DirksNick @ The New York Academy of SciencesThe New York Academy of SciencesJustus and Janos, No, the Pre-AI Era Was Not That Great, IHEJanos, Builders: Designing the Post-AI UniversityJustus, Elites Are Distorting the AI DiscourseThoughts and suggestions? Email us at [email protected] can find the full show notes and our writing at meltsintoair.orgSubscribe to the Unfixed Newsletter—The AI Higher Ed Breakdown our bi-weekly newsletter unpacking the top news stories at the intersection of AI and higher education.