Local View: Rethinking NU for an AI-driven future

Lincoln Journal Star | September 21, 2025

The role of the University of Nebraska has never been more urgent. Once, its mission was clear: educate students and conduct research. But as artificial intelligence disrupts industries, destabilizing once-reliable career paths, and redefines the very nature of work, the university must rethink not only what they teach but how they prepare students for a future defined by rapid change and complexity. As I meet with parents and students, I hear their concerns about safe career paths in an uncertain future. As a father, I share their concerns, yet I remain hopeful. I agree with former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty who said that artificial intelligence will not replace people, but those who know how to use AI will replace those who don’t. We must be intentional in this destination.

The modern state university must be a leader in innovation and purpose. Its goal should be to equip students to thrive in a world where technology automates routine tasks and human creativity, adaptability and problem-solving become the most valuable skills. A university’s measure should be how well its graduates are solving both big and small problems in our country.

The American workforce is at an inflection point. AI is already transforming industries in law, finance, national security, media and medicine. At the same time, our country faces unprecedented challenges from manufacturing and farming to climate change and public health crises. The students entering the University of Nebraska today are not just training for their first jobs — they are also preparing to solve problems that do not yet exist in an uncertain world. To meet this moment, the University of Nebraska must reimagine itself around student-centered imperatives:

1. Educating for adaptability

Technical skills alone will not secure a career in the age of AI. Universities must prioritize cross-disciplinary learning, critical thinking and ethical reasoning — competencies that machines cannot replicate. Students will need to break beyond traditional silos of a single discipline to train engineers who study philosophy, business majors who learn history, nurses who explore public policy, and all who learn data science and informatics. This breadth of education equips graduates not just for today’s job market, but for lifelong adaptation in an unpredictable economy.

2. Radical practicality through real-world problem solving

The 21st-century university must function as a problem-solving engine where students apply their knowledge directly to societal challenges. There are an infinite number of problems to solve, and the university must be nimble and strengthen partnerships with industry, agriculture and government. Students should graduate with experience addressing the bioeconomy in climate adaptation, rural health care access, or the responsible deployment of AI, to name a few. This prepares them not just to enter the workforce but to lead it.

3. Expanding recruitment, access and support for all students

The strength of a public university lies in its commitment to serve anyone capable of learning and contributing. Retooling our workforce with the necessary skills to stay competitive in this environment means that the university has a role in the professional lifecycle of any worker. This means that the NU must redouble its commitment to accessibility, affordability and student support for lifelong learning. First-generation students, working parents, veterans and rural learners are essential voices in tackling the problems of tomorrow.

The University of Nebraska is poised to lead in these roles. Degree programs have recently been launched in AI, and we should invest in faculty to deepen their skillset in this arena. More than a ladder of individual opportunity, NU is a cornerstone of state and national resilience. To succeed, we must move quickly. The traditional academic mold cannot meet the needs of the AI era. Our students are counting on us not to cling to tradition, but to adapt as an institution that sees disruption not as a threat, but as a call to transform to solve the grand challenges of our time.

Because when our students are ready for the future, so is Nebraska.

Jeremy Hosein is a neurosurgeon in Lincoln. He was a health adviser in the White House, policy adviser to two Nebraska governors and former UNMC student regent. He is a candidate for the NU Board of Regents in District 1.