Universities are facing mounting challenges. From falling enrolments to dwindling support from populist governments, many institutions are in survival mode. Throw AI into the mix as a possible solution, and it’s either a lifeline or a distraction, depending on whom you ask.
Nature Index 2025 Young universities
In the four years since our last Young Universities supplement, the context for these institutions (aged 50 or younger) has changed dramatically. Where once we discussed the strategies that helped a select few institutions keep up with their longer-established peers, we’re now posing a completely different question: will young universities be the ones to set the pace in a future where AI integration in education seems all but inevitable?