When Universities Start Asking: Is Our Curriculum Ready for the AI Era?
There are moments in a training session that go beyond simply delivering information — moments that spark bigger questions. Questions that do not stop in the seminar room, but continue into faculty meetings and slowly reshape how an institution sees the future of its students.
That is exactly what happened when Dr. Hendra Wijaya, S.Akt., M.M., CPMA., CFP., QWP., Dean of the Faculty of Business, and Happy Cahaya Mulya, M.Psi, Psychologist, Head of the Psychology Study Program, joined an AI training session with MAXY Academy.
It’s Not Just About Tools — It’s About Readiness
Most conversations about AI in academic environments still revolve around one question:
“Are students using AI to cheat?”
But the more urgent question is:
“Are our students truly prepared for a workforce that is already moving alongside AI?”
For Dr. Hendra Wijaya, this training was more than an introduction to new technology. It became a realization of how wide the gap may already be between what universities teach and what industries actually need today.
“There is a strong opportunity for future collaboration in developing AI-related curricula, so students can not only understand AI, but also learn how to apply it ethically and responsibly.”
This was not simply a post-training compliment. It reflected the perspective of an academic leader beginning to map out what future-ready education should look like.
When “New Skills” Become Essential
Happy Cahaya Mulya, M.Psi approached AI from a different perspective — yet arrived at the same conclusion.
As Head of the Psychology Study Program, she recognized that students today need more than theoretical knowledge. They need new, relevant skills that align with the realities of the modern workplace.
“What I did not expect before was that this could be directly implemented for students. They can develop new skills that are highly relevant for internships and future careers.”
At a time when industries evolve much faster than traditional curriculum cycles, the ability to bring relevant and adaptive skills into internships and first jobs has become a major differentiator.
For Happy, AI is not a threat to critical thinking. Instead, it is a new space to strengthen it — whether through research, problem-solving, or academic exploration.
AI Ethics Cannot Be Ignored
One theme consistently emphasized by both speakers was the importance of ethics in AI usage.
Not only how to use AI, but how to use it responsibly.
In academic environments, intellectual integrity remains the foundation of everything. That is why discussions around AI ethics must happen early — especially as AI becomes part of learning systems, research processes, and teaching materials.
MAXY Academy understands this through training programs designed not only to introduce AI tools, but also to build a deeper understanding of:
- ethical boundaries in AI usage,
- the importance of human critical thinking,
- and how institutions can foster a healthy AI culture.
Collaboration as a Concrete Step Forward
What stood out most was not only their positive response to the training, but how quickly both leaders identified the next step: collaboration.
Collaboration to develop AI Literacy-based curricula.
Collaboration to create learning systems that stay relevant to industry needs.
And collaboration to ensure students are not just technology users, but individuals who understand the impact and responsibility behind it.
This is a conversation more educational institutions need to start having — now, not later.
Closing
Digital transformation in education is not simply about replacing whiteboards with digital platforms. Real transformation happens when academic leaders begin asking the right question:
“What do our students truly need to survive and thrive in a world that has already changed?”
Dr. Hendra Wijaya and Happy Cahaya Mulya have already started asking that question — and taking steps toward answering it.
Now the question is:
