Universities were originally built to prepare humans to enter society as useful, wise thinkers and doers. But over the last 70 years—particularly since the post-war research boom and the rise of credential-based hiring—research output and degree attainment have overtaken this formative purpose. In many ways, this shift has corrupted the institution.
Having gone through higher education myself, this corruption was obvious. I suspect many students and institutions would agree if they honestly questioned the status quo.
Today, countless students enroll in university programs without genuine interest in the subject matter. Their intentions are instrumental, not intrinsic. This dilutes both quality and spirit. When studying becomes disconnected from purpose, it transforms into a way of postponing harder questions: What do I actually want to contribute? What kind of life do I want to build? The result is that young people use education as sophisticated procrastination—a socially sanctioned delay of adulthood.
Even at elite universities, I'd argue that most students lack deep, genuine interest in what they're studying. They pursue degrees primarily to attain a credential that promises economic opportunity. One might counter that pragmatic motivations have always existed, and that's fair. But the balance has tipped. When credentialism dominates so completely, the institution loses its soul—and students lose formative years that could be spent in genuine inquiry or real-world contribution.
I believe this is among the most critical problems facing young people today. It may not rival climate change in existential urgency, but it shapes the quality of minds, values, and citizens we produce as a society.
We need to return to the original purpose of education, adapted for today: preparing individuals for meaningful participation in society. This means forming whole humans—their values, their individuality, their quality of thinking and capability. It means creating space for genuine intellectual exploration rather than strategic credential collection.
For now, I'm setting aside the implications of AI on knowledge work and society's structure. That deserves its own discussion—though it may accelerate the reckoning with these questions considerably.
The question is clear: How can we, as a society, create environments and programs that foster each person's unique abilities, form their character, and prepare them for genuine contribution?