In Age of Disruption, Degrees Alone Won’t Cut It, Kant says
While earlier generations of students were trained in technical proficiency and theoretical knowledge, Kant argued that today’s graduates must demonstrate agility, creativity, and digital fluency, while approaching careers with a mindset of continuous learning.
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India must reimagine higher education to equip students not just for their first job but for a lifetime of reinvention, Amitabh Kant, India’s former G20 Sherpa and chancellor of NIIT University, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.
In a world being rapidly reshaped by artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, and green technologies, Kant said the most vital skill is no longer subject mastery but the capacity to adapt, learn, and evolve.
“The workplace is changing,” Kant wrote. “Traditional 9-to-5 roles are giving way to portfolio careers, gig work, and interdisciplinary problem-solving. New jobs are emerging even as old ones disappear.”
He called on universities to rethink what it means to be “job-ready.”
While earlier generations of students were trained in technical proficiency and theoretical knowledge, Kant argued that today’s graduates must demonstrate agility, creativity, and digital fluency—and approach their careers with a mindset of continuous learning.
Kant emphasized the importance of real-time, hands-on exposure in emerging fields such as cybersecurity, AI-driven design, drone technology, and data governance.
“Many higher education systems are still built on static syllabi and legacy definitions of employability,” he said. “It’s time to rethink that.”
Drawing on his experience at NIIT University, Kant noted the benefits of industry-academia collaboration and learning grounded in relevance.
“When students take on real-world challenges as part of their learning, when research is grounded in relevance—outcomes change.”
But the challenge, he said, goes beyond individual institutions. “India has the demographic dividend. Now we need the capability dividend—talent that can think across boundaries, lead through disruption, and build solutions at scale.”
He called for a fundamental transformation in how universities operate, urging them to become platforms for innovation and adaptability rather than static centers of instruction.
“The future will belong to those who can navigate uncertainty with confidence, who see change not as a threat but as a source of opportunity,” Kant wrote. “To get there, we need universities that are bold, integrated, and forward-looking—not just in infrastructure, but in spirit. That is the University of the Future.”
Kant previously served as India’s G20 Sherpa between 8 July 2022 and 16 June 2025, and was the CEO of government think tank NITI Aayog from 2016 to 2022.
Since stepping down, Kant has taken on new roles in the private sector. He has been appointed as a non‑executive director on the board of IndiGo and also serves as a senior adviser to Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.
He is also chairperson of NIIT University, a role he took over on 10 March from former ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan.
