'Degrees expire in up to 3 years': UAE educators stress need to reimagine learning as future jobs hard to predict

Khaleej Times

19-02-2025

Veteran educators in the region are calling on teachers, students and parents to reassess the worth of traditional degrees, which may only stay relevant for two to three years after completion.
Given the rapid evolution of industries and the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and digital transformation, educators emphasised that traditional degrees used to guarantee stable careers earlier, but with industries evolving rapidly, knowledge from a degree may become outdated within just a few years.
The AGF Summit 2025: Innovation and Transformation in Higher Education on Wednesday, brought together global education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to explore the impact of AI and technology on education and the future of learning.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Organisation, also questioned the future relevance of traditional education systems. He encouraged governments to adopt AI-driven learning models that offer personalised education for each individual.
'We have to rethink the value of the degree. In the old days, the amount of education you get at the end of college was enough to build a career that would go on for 40 years. Today, this is not true. The degree we have expires in two to three years and we must re-learn. So, it's all about lifelong learning and we must re-examine the (teaching-learning) model," Tarek Galal Shawki, university counselor at the American University in Cairo, said.
He stressed schools and universities must therefore re-evaluate curricula to ensure students are industry-ready.
'You can see that the children are not responding. The Alpha generation, and the Beta that comes after, are very different. They want something else ... they are bored within no time. So, the adults have to understand that there is a need to revolutionise the model, and that model is relatively new.
Shawki added degrees are not the only measure of greatness. "Isaac Newton had no degree on the wall, but he was the greatest scientist of his time."
New generation wants to enter workforce earlier
Experts also pointed out that many students today struggle to connect with a curriculum that feels disconnected from real-life applications.
In a region and a country with a fast-paced economy and evolving job markets, the pressure to start earning earlier is becoming increasingly real.
Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar, CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, emphasised the urgent need to re-imagine education in a rapidly changing world.
'Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are redefining how people learn and work, but without strategic foresight, we risk deepening the education divide,' she said. 'I think students are getting bored, because the curriculum is divorced from application for the most part. This new generation is a lot less patient, a lot less willing to sit and wait, and to be perfectly honest … they can afford it less. We have a larger population of young people who actually need to get on with earning. This is something that's just a reality, especially in this region.'
Predicting future jobs is difficult
Specialists in the field also emphasised that the current reliance on exam scores as the primary determinant of a student's future creates immense pressure on both students and parents.
Many parents, understandably, push for high scores because they see them as the only gateway to higher education.
Shawki added, 'Therefore, we need disruptive change when it comes to acceptance in colleges, and the value of the exam in determining the life of the student. I don't think parents are wrong because they know the only way to go to college is through a score. So, we have to address the whole structure of assessments, of acceptance to colleges and how do we measure skills … all that requires massive change.'
Educators noted that instead of measuring someone's ability based on a degree they earned years ago, we should focus on real-time skill validation, and lifelong learning.
'Predicting future jobs is difficult, so deciding what to teach today is a real challenge. I believe that it's no longer enough to simply earn a degree and stop learning. Continuous education is essential. A year ago, we hadn't even heard much about artificial intelligence. In five years, there will be new advancements and challenges. We must commit to lifelong learning, read constantly, and adapt our approaches as things evolve,' added Shawki.