24 Mar 2026 /
Insights
In this episode of the Reimagining Higher Education podcast, Professor Judyth Sachs talks with Dr. Kemi Jona, the Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation at the University of Virginia. With a career spanning traditional residential campuses and innovative digital-first institutions, Dr. Jona has spent decades navigating the "socio-technical" intersection of people and technology, his journey offering a masterclass in how higher education can adapt to a rapidly changing world.
The early days of AI
Dr. Jona’s interest in AI was ignited in the early 1980s. Because an "AI major" did not yet exist at the time, he "cobbled together" his own, double majoring in computer science and cognitive psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He recalls the literal physical demands of early computing in an era before laptops: going to the basement of the computer science building at 2 AM, the only time machines were available, through Madison's brutal "20 below zero" snow.
These formative years saw milestones such as the arrival of email and the very first faculty desktops. They also led to a foundational insight: technology is never a purely technical fix, but a socio-technical solution. Dr. Jona learned that you cannot simply "drop" a new tool into a system; you must consider the "human factors" and how people interact with and are changed by the technology they use.
Meeting employers in the middle
A significant portion of Dr. Jona’s career has been spent bridging the divide between academia and the workforce. At Northeastern University, he helped lead an institution that viewed employer partnerships not as a "dirty word," but as core to its identity. He argues that the typical "finger-pointing" between universities and employers, where each side blames the other for skills gaps, is counterproductive.
Instead, he advocates for co-design, which requires a deep commitment on both sides, willingness to engage in deep listening and flexibility. Successful partnerships often take a long time of talking and listening before any building even begins. He emphasises that industry and academia must work together because the most valuable "enduring human skills", such as communication, teamwork, leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking, cannot be manufactured overnight. These abilities require a deep investment over months and years to truly develop.
"It's clear that [...] the university experience can, when thoughtfully designed, produce people with, with those desirable skills."
By co-designing curriculum, universities can ensure academic standards are maintained while meeting the specific needs of the community. A prime example was a collaboration with GE Aviation to create a bachelor's degree in advanced manufacturing, which balanced academic integrity with the rigorous safety standards required for building jet engines. This partnership demonstrated that both universities and industry share a deep stake in high-quality outcomes, as neither side wants to compromise on the expertise needed for such critical engineering.
AI and the new social compact
As AI calls into question traditional "signals of thinking", like essays and exams, Dr. Jona believes higher education must fundamentally re-examine its practices. He argues that we must have an honest conversation about what learning looks like, which involves a new social compact between students, faculty, and the university. This compact centers on the fundamental question of why a student is there and why they are paying tuition to attend, a reflection that applies to all levels of education.
"The question is, how do we get back to what the core of what that experience is supposed to be like, which is really putting in the work and developing those, those critical thinking abilities?"
He suggests that while students could choose to "fake" their way through with AI, the goal of the university should not be a game of catching cheaters. Instead, the focus should be on helping students get "cognitively stronger or faster," much like a football or swimming coach helps an athlete improve. He warns that many parts of higher education have lost their way regarding this conversation, and must re-center on student motivation, reclaiming it is essential for finding a path forward.
Three challenges for the future
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, Dr. Jona identifies three "perfect storm" challenges for the sector.
Employability: Universal concern over employability outcomes, as the labor market changes and the public questions if college is still "worth it".
Public confidence: Lack of public confidence in the research mission, noting that we have lost the narrative on why government-funded basic research is essential for societal progress.
The funding cliff: A retrenchment of government funding for higher education, particularly regarding student loans in the US, will force institutions to find alternative ways to finance education in the coming years.
🎧 Listen to Dr Kemi Jona's full episode here: Apple | Spotify | Vimeo | YouTube