In India, universities are often referred to as the “temples of education.” Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, described state-run initiatives, including premier universities, as the “temples of modern India.” As an immediate rational conclusion to this reverence, modern university professors emerge as custodians of knowledge, drivers of learning, and catalysts of societal transformation. It is therefore imperative to closely examine the role and impact of professors in shaping the social and economic narratives of both space and time.
“We’ve bought into the idea that education is about training and ‘success’, defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and to challenge. We should not forget that the true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers.”
– Chris Hedges, Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (2009)
Hedges goes further to note how the “arrival of industrialists to the university boards of trustees,” starting from the 1870s, led to the degeneration of the education system in the USA. While extreme, this critique resonates globally today. It has also paved the way for the evolution of university educators’ roles from traditional teaching to a blend of lecturing, training, and mentoring.
- The Evolution from Teachers to Mentors
“I knew from my own life experience that when someone shows genuine interest in your learning and development, even if only for ten minutes in a busy day, it matters.”
– Michelle Obama, Becoming (2018)
Before the information age, when knowledge was privy to a few, the university played the role of a “beacon of learning,” with faculty fuelling the fire of education to spread far and wide. Teaching was regarded as a purposeful calling dedicated to preparing responsible leaders and citizens of the future.
With the information age came a significant shift in faculty roles: from traditional lecturing to identifying the optimal subset of knowledge for professional training. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) further challenges the traditional standing of universities. If robots can teach and apps can curate lectures and assignments, then why do we need professors?
The answer lies in human connection. Rephrasing Obama’s words, a person with a “genuine” interest in another’s growth remains a powerful vehicle of influence. Even in the age of AI, professors transform universities into havens of intellectual development.
Research indicates that about 55% of students consider professors partly responsible for mentoring and guidance—ranging from career advice and research mentoring to teaching assistantship training. Professors remain the irreplaceable guides in these journeys.
- Institutional Neutrality: To Be or Not to Be in a Polarised World
“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”
– Sydney J. Harris, American journalist (1917–1986)
In an increasingly polarised world, universities often become platforms for youth voices in decision-making. Yet, the transformative role of universities is increasingly constrained by a general advisory to avoid political positions, thus institutionalising neutrality.
While neutrality protects universities from pressure and prevents campus polarisation, it also risks stifling students’ opportunities to practise critical thinking and debate.
“There’s no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom.”
– Richard Shaull, Foreword to Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970)
Universities may remain neutral, but professors continue to play a vital role in positively influencing students to engage responsibly with society.
- Instilling Lifelong Learning Beyond Grades
“The most worthwhile form of education is the kind that puts the educator inside you, as it were, so that the appetite for learning persists long after the external pressure for grades and degrees has vanished. Otherwise, you are not educated; you are merely trained.”
– Sydney J. Harris
Today, lifelong learning is not optional. Unlike earlier generations, professionals now must continually diversify their skills. Professors, therefore, remain instrumental in instilling curiosity and habits of lifelong learning.
“A society that values order above all else will seek to suppress curiosity. But a society that believes in progress, innovation and creativity will cultivate it, recognising that the enquiring minds of its people constitute its most valuable asset.”
– Ian Leslie, Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It (2014)
By enabling purposeful discussions in classrooms, professors nurture curiosity, the foundation of progress and innovation.
- The Social Multiplier Effect of University Teaching
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
– Malala Yousafzai, I Am Malala (2013)
Education is more than a personal achievement—it is a social multiplier. Professors train teachers across levels, creating a ripple effect that uplifts communities, improves quality of life, and strengthens social solidarity.
As the OECD notes:
“Investments in human capital can be a source of resilience over the long term and help ensure the well-being of future societies, especially in countries with large youth populations.”
Yet, the role of professors is increasingly stretched. They juggle research, teaching, advising, outreach, and administration, often diluting their focus on teaching. Enhancing the quality of higher education demands increased funding and dedicated roles to distribute these responsibilities.
“Were all instructors to realise that the quality of mental process, not the production of correct answers, is the measure of educative growth something hardly less than a revolution in teaching would be worked.”
– John Dewey, Democracy and Education (1916)
Conclusion
Professors remain the backbone of higher education and social transformation. In mentoring, guiding, and inspiring future generations, they shape not only careers but also societies. Despite the challenges posed by modern demands, professors embody the timeless mission of education: nurturing minds, fostering curiosity, and building futures. May their tribe grow.
