We are witnessing a profound transformation on how we define careers, capability and success. The age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and global digitalization has blurred the boundaries between disciplines, thereby redefining the very purpose of education.

For the next generation of technocrats, a “job” is no longer an obligatory outcome—it is a deliberate choice. Education must now prepare them not just to survive in this new landscape, but to shape it. This calls for nothing less than a fresh rethink of our higher education ecosystem, particularly in engineering and technology. As educators, academic institutions, and national stakeholders, we must rise to meet this moment—not with incremental change, but with visionary reforms.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has rightly pointed out, “You are not going to lose your job to AI, but you are going to lose your job to somebody who uses AI”. It is critical to realise the adaptation of AI towards strengthening them in a way to use them.

Jobs to empowerment:

For decades, the goal of engineering education in India was largely linear: secure a degree, land a job, and build a career. While this model served the needs of a growing industrial economy, it no longer aligns with the realities of a digital, automated, and globalized world.

The future of work will be defined by harnessing AI, innovation, and interdisciplinary thinking as echoed by Emily Rose in her ‘Future of work trends 2025’.

Young technocrats must be empowered—not programmed—to explore entrepreneurship, research, and socially meaningful ventures.

This shift cannot happen within the confines of a traditional, exam-centric, lecture-heavy educational model. We must transition toward experiential learning, project-based evaluation, and interdisciplinary exploration.

As educators, our role is no longer limited to delivering content. We must now act as mentors, facilitators, and enablers of curiosity and courage. Across universities, the faculty should be moving from a content delivery model to one that emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and innovation.

To truly groom future-ready technocrats, we should embed entrepreneurship, AI/ML training, design thinking, and ethical technology use into the curriculum from the very first year. Creation of innovation labs, interdisciplinary research centres, startup incubators, and global industry partnerships to offer our students not just knowledge—but a launchpad is critical for Gen Z and Alpha generation students. To be architects of transformation, our vision should be clear, precise and futuristic.

Educators must also evolve through continuous learning. Faculty development programs that focus on emerging technologies, pedagogical innovation, and global best practices must be a priority. We must prepare ourselves before we can prepare our students for a future defined by complexity.

Engineering education must nurture an inquiry-driven mindset. At MNR, we are actively fostering undergraduate research culture through structured research mentorship, early exposure to publication opportunities, and participation in national and international competitions.

Simultaneously, entrepreneurship must move from being an “option” to a mainstream academic pathway. Our entrepreneurship cells support students with ideation labs, pitch practice, market analysis tools, and exposure to real-world investors. This culture of applied learning helps students see themselves not just as professionals—but as innovators, employers, and contributors to national development.

Policy with purpose:

The Government of India (GOI) has a pivotal role to play in this transformation—and in many ways, it has already laid a strong foundation. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a bold and progressive blueprint that embraces flexibility, multidisciplinary education, and research-based learning. It encourages multiple exit points, credit-based systems, and the integration of vocational and academic streams. Policies of GOI should be more of flexible, adaptive and futuristic.

However, implementation is key. To bring NEP to life in engineering education, government-academic-industry collaboration must be scaled up. There must be sustained funding for R&D at the institutional level, simplification of research grants, and stronger incentives for faculty-driven innovation.

Moreover, initiatives like Startup India should be more deeply integrated into university ecosystems—particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities—so that innovation is democratized and not limited to elite institutions. The vision is clear: We must build a generation of technocrats who are job creators, not job seekers—leaders who use technology not just to automate tasks, but to solve human problems, drive inclusion, and power India’s future.

This transformation is not the responsibility of one stakeholder—it is a shared mission. Educators must ignite minds. Institutions must create ecosystems. The government must continue to provide visionary frameworks and sustained support.

As, we at MNR University, aligned ourselves to the new age realities and beyond that, every educational institute should think about futuristic education.

We shouldn’t prepare students for the next exam or the next interview—we should prepare them for the next era.

All said and done, the future belongs not to those who follow existing paths but to those who create new ones.

(The writer is Dean of School of Engineering & Technology, MNR University)