Embracing the Changes Brought by the “Fourth-Generation University”
The so-called fourth-generation university is a new type of university born of the intelligent age: it breaks away from the traditional model in which universities export knowledge to society in one direction, takes deep root in social reality, learns from industry in both directions, and completes the cultivation of talent in the process of co-creating knowledge and value. The great changes unseen in a century are bound to reshape the role of the university. The first three generations of universities, characterized respectively by the recording and transmission of knowledge, the research and creation of knowledge, and the application of knowledge, are rapidly giving way to the fourth. Whether it is China’s advocacy of “integration of industry and education” and “integration of science and education,” or the recently proposed American report Science: The New Golden Age, all clearly reveal that the fourth-generation university is on the rise.
The first three generations of universities all carried an implicit assumption: the university is where knowledge is produced and disseminated, while society is where knowledge is received and applied. In other words, the university leads society. But with the development of artificial intelligence, social development increasingly shows universities and society interweaving in the creation of knowledge. Universities no longer hold an absolute lead in knowledge creation and dissemination, and universities and society need to learn from each other and create together. The impact of this change on academic research and talent cultivation is revolutionary and far-reaching.
Management is a discipline that comes from practice and returns to practice. Enterprises are not only the source of management theory problems but also the pioneers of management practice. Management research and talent cultivation need to follow this process: “immerse in practice, discover real problems, conduct theoretical research, create knowledge, test and refine through practice, disseminate knowledge and build capabilities, then immerse in new practice again,” rising in a continuous spiral. Picking out only three links from this process (theoretical research, knowledge creation, and knowledge dissemination) not only distorts knowledge and theory and renders them ineffective, but also erodes society’s trust in universities. Using knowledge produced in the industrial age to teach people born in the information age, and expecting them to rely on it to face the future of the intelligent age, will inevitably fail to fix the problem of low attentiveness in the classroom. Reform and innovation in new quality productive forces, represented by science and technology, are in full swing; research and talent-cultivation reforms on the matching new quality production relations must not lag behind.
The core changes brought by the fourth-generation university lie mainly in the following respects. First, knowledge, organization, and other value-creating elements are integrated according to the needs of scenarios rather than disciplinary and professional classifications. Second, authority and contribution are determined by innovation outcomes rather than academic titles. Third, work is divided by project roles rather than by position or status. Fourth, value is judged by the users of results rather than by those who disseminate them, with corresponding benefit-distribution mechanisms established. Fifth, the effectiveness of talent cultivation is measured by competence in real scenarios rather than by mastery of a body of knowledge. These changes will inevitably tear down the walls between universities and society, and bring corresponding adjustments to the composition of the faculty, the way talent is cultivated, and the evaluation and distribution of research value. These changes will be swift, and they will not bend to our subjective wishes.
The currently flourishing schools of technology and business should be the vanguard of the fourth-generation university. If we lack a clear understanding of these changes and are not prepared in mindset and capability, and instead assume by default that we are one-way exporters of advanced technology, ideas, and knowledge to society, a technology business school can easily become just a traditional business school with a trendier name. Emphasizing scenario-driven, society-co-created work does not negate the value of disciplinary systems, theoretical research, and talent cultivation; otherwise, technology business schools would lose their own positioning and social role. Schools must work to explore new paths of theory and academic research that face real contradictions and solve real problems, while each of us must find our new role in the fourth-generation university and quickly develop the capabilities to fulfill it. These new roles and capabilities are not only our competitive edge for development, but also our foundation for survival.
To meet the challenges of these changes, we must be willing to spend time integrating into society, and be ready to give up fleeting reputation and interests in exchange for long-term value. Facing the future, each of us is a newcomer, and every organization needs to be rebuilt. In the fourth-generation university, experts and scholars, teaching and learning, and research and practice coexist and thrive together. We must cultivate people for society, and we must also keep accepting cultivation from society; we must keep creating new knowledge, and also know how to let go of entrenched assumptions, continuing to learn from practice and from society with an attitude of advancing by stepping back.
Anxiety and panic often stem from the many uncertainties of the future. But once we see the broad trend of the era’s transformation, we will take the initiative to change, and proactive change is the best way to dispel anxiety and panic. By grasping the certainties amid the great uncertainties of an era of change, abandoning path dependence, and stepping out of our comfort zones, we can hold the power of choice in this era of transformation, and that power of choice is the confidence with which we face future change.
