Academy Phoenix: Will Universities Reborn in Industry 5.0 Era, or Will They Lie Down in Ashes?

Abstract

Industry 5.0 had been envisioned as a new era of the Industry that goes beyond simple efficiency and productivity. Instead of trivial economic benefits, it puts human society on a pedestal. The human needs and society as a whole are prioritised against the rise of material wealth. Cyberspace and physical space are merged to find a solution to social problems. The life-quality improvement, ageing society, climate change and sustainable development are new challenges that require a novel approach. People must stop working for the industry, but on the contrary, the industry must start working for people. There was always an idea conflict between the universities and the industry. Even though the industry is asking to train people for present today, the universities are teaching for tomorrow to be ready for the future. This is not enough anymore. Fulfilling the Industry 5.0 vision requires Universities 5.0. Excellent science needs to meet the needs of society. University research should be the pathfinder, while the industry is the accelerator of change. University students need a limitless global education, merging nations on the way to new knowledge and breakthrough discoveries. The industry should not be the only recipient of university graduates but the direct participant of the education and supporter of the technology transfer. This paper discusses the challenges and solutions in cooperation between technical universities and employers in the context of the Industry 5.0 trend. It also tries to answer the question of what are the limits of academic freedom in university education when dealing with the demands of Industry 5.0.