6 min readMay 27, 2026 06:23 AM IST First published on: May 27, 2026 at 06:23 AM ISTEven as universities across India seek to implement the National Education Policy, they are confronted with a deeper question: What should higher education look like in the age of Artificial Intelligence? Fortunately, the NEP’s focus on multidisciplinary learning and intellectual flexibility is remarkably prescient. In a world being shaped by AI, the future will be shaped by societies that can think across disciplines, rather than simply excel within a single specialisation. It also revives the importance of liberal-arts education.Over 25 years, in academic leadership, I have seen recurring waves of anxiety about the relevance of liberal-arts education. Successive eras of doubt about the importance of the liberal arts have been driven by the growing dominance of STEM subjects. Questions about humanities and social science degrees are often posed in terms of “worth” or return on investment; disciplines that are intellectually interesting but economically dispensable. The age of AI has finally exposed the poverty of that thinking.AdvertisementLiberal-arts education is now — more than ever — India’s key to the future. Here’s why. First, while data may be the new marker of literacy, information alone is not enough. Yes, artificial intelligence can process massive amounts of data at speeds no human can match. Yes, AI can write essays, create computer programs, identify trends, and engage in convincing conversation. But at a time when AI is dangerously masquerading as truth, nothing can substitute judgement informed by history, ethics, culture and politics. The more sophisticated machines become, the more precious distinctly human capacities will grow.The second reason to embrace liberal arts is that future problems will not come neatly labelled as History, Economics or Computer Science. Debates about the liberal arts versus STEM are based on a false binary. The biggest challenge facing India is whether — and how well — it can do both. The best engineers will need the insights of History, Political Science and Ethics to solve the problems of the future. Good technologists will need social science to build humane technology. India needs economists who can speak knowledgeably about climate change and behavioural science. In the age of AI, disciplinary silos will hinder those who work within them. That’s why the NEP’s stress on multidisciplinary and holistic education is so welcome.Third, liberal-arts degrees matter for democracy. Democracies need citizens who can think critically, engage in civil disagreement, and have some understanding of the past. When markets determine educational priorities, the social value of learning can easily be reduced to its immediate monetary value. History, Philosophy, Anthropology and Political Theory will always seem less important than degrees with easy job placements. But democracies that stop valuing these subjects will do so at their own peril. Universities are, after all, more than employment facilitation or placement centres.AdvertisementWhen JNU was created more than five decades ago, it was imagined almost as an intellectual republic. Students came from every corner of India and were introduced to new ideas that helped them see beyond the limits of their backgrounds and communities. The value of universities like JNU is not simply in what they research or publish; it is in the idea of a public space dedicated to knowledge for its own sake. Just as importantly, universities play an important role in nurturing democratic citizenship and values. To be sure, private universities have expanded access to education and brought change to India’s higher education ecosystem. From Shiv Nadar to Ahmedabad University to Ashoka, several private institutions have pioneered serious investments in liberal-arts education and interdisciplinary programmes. With India’s vast population, we need both private and public universities. Yet there is also reason for caution. Once you let market forces alone dictate the purpose of a university, certain areas of study will naturally be privileged over others.The fourth reason to care about liberal-arts education is resilience. Coding languages and technical skills change every few years. What employers look for changes. What will not change — and what humans will always need — is the ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and relate to others. As AI takes over more of the world’s blue-collar and white-collar jobs, human skills will need to become more human. Liberal-arts degrees are uniquely positioned to provide that education. At JNU’s School of International Studies, we see it play out in real time as the field of International Relations is being reshaped by tech. Climate change, cybersecurity, big data and disinformation aren’t just “topics” to be studied — they will define both opportunities and challenges for the next generation of global leaders. Which is why we must train students who are not only tech-savvy, but historically literate, ethically mindful, and globally literate.The fifth reason is civilisational. India’s own intellectual traditions never viewed knowledge as fragmented into isolated disciplines. There was no divide between Philosophy and Politics, Economics and Ethics, or even Literature and public service. Education was seen as a cohesive whole. India’s strengths in the modern knowledge economy are tied to a return to this interdisciplinary approach. The NEP, in many ways, mirrors a growing recognition that Indian traditions of knowledge are no longer compartmentalised.you may likeFor decades now, I have had the privilege of learning from students across India and the world — whether at public universities in India’s conflict areas or leading universities abroad. What I have learned from them is that higher education must do more than create workers. It must help us become better human beings.India today has a historic opportunity. If implemented with care and seriousness, the NEP has the potential to help India educate a generation that is technologically literate and democratically mindful. That will make India not just a stronger knowledge economy but a stronger democracy, and improve the quality of life of all its inhabitants. For the ultimate challenge posed by AI is not technological, it is human. Machines may increasingly answer questions. Universities must still teach which questions are worth asking.The writer is dean of the School of International Studies, JNU and professor of IR at the University of Melbourne