• It is imperative that scholars delve into the cuddles and tussles between people and robots
• Young scholars need support to navigate and engage with contemporary academic transformations
• Academic journal editors have an increasingly important role to play supporting community and professional development

ENJOY: Curating Scholarly Careers in the Era of Robot Citation

ENJOY: GOVERNING AI IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Surfing Silicone Struggles

Universities and researchers around the world must work with the communities they are constituted to serve to stake out their position between electrons and education, servers and service, and instruments and innovation.

Big tech is claiming territory and prizes once coveted by the academy. Curriculum, teaching, assessment, conferences and even purportedly ‘thinking’ and ‘smarts’ have wandered far from campus canteens towards hungry server farms. Universities now gobble lithium and copper as well as burgers, noodles and coffee.

Tigers Leap Gorges

How can contemporary computing technologies, and artificial intelligence in particular, continue helping us transform and improve higher education? It is a reasonable question.

We are lucky to work in the fantastic field of higher education. Now is a time for us to work together to co-create new futures for higher education. We have no time to wring our hands and give up higher thinking to silicone chips. We cannot afford to let computer scientists alone define all the futures. Computers and computer scientists are part of our broader academic and professional community. They need our help as much as we need theirs. The challenges and opportunities before us are great. We need experts to work together.

As societies, as leaders, as teachers and scholars, we must decide the rules by which technology is used, and how it can play. So far, the world has reacted in different ways to this challenge. Whether we find ourselves pioneering innovations at the forefront of education or computer science, or just tinkering with computers in daily work, everyone is invited to engage in this creative game for our times, our strategic sport and its future contribution to higher education.

Curating Academic Futures

It is vital that scholars delve into the tussles and cuddles between people and robots, to lay foundations for thinking through bumps, wobbles and futures around academic publishing.

Contemporary digital developments are part of all scholars’ lives. Those on the tech scene relish the fun. Established scholars play with implications for their research and teaching. However, the consequences are almost certainly most profound for experts just embarking on an academic career. The early career has always been precarious, with many roadblocks and stepping stones to traverse. Contemporary tech has thrown even more challenges and potential roadblocks in the way.

It is young scholars who must navigate many decades of academic transformation. It is existentially imperative for all leaders in the research ecosystem to help young scholars work with technology to advance their research and contributions.

Academic journals have a crucial role to play not just in publishing research, but in curating and guiding future communities. Ultimately, journals will not exist if young scholars choose other options with their careers and devolve research and authorship to clever robots. As universities and researchers evolve, editors, publishers and scholars must work together to strike value-creating deals between electrons and education, servers and service, and instruments and innovation.

As universities and researchers evolve, editors, publishers and scholars must work together to strike value-creating deals between electrons and education, servers and service, and instruments and innovation.

Hamish Coates, Jinghuan Shi, Juan Yang

READ: Curating Scholarly Careers in the Era of Robot Citation

READ: GOVERNING AI IN HIGHER EDUCATION

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