What’s next for universities? Chancellor Julio Frenk looks ahead to the changing future of education and work

As students prepare to graduate into a world shaped by rapid technological change, parents and educators wrestle with a shared set of questions: What do the futures of work and livelihood look like? How long will today's skills remain relevant? And what role should universities play once a degree is earned?

Those questions were at the center of UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk's candid fireside chat at the Geffen Academy, a university-affiliated school serving students in grades 6 through 12. Frenk spoke to academy families and educators eager to gain insight into how one of the nation's leading higher-education voices envisions the challenges and opportunities of college education at a moment of significant transition.

The Feb. 7 event was hosted by UCLA alumna and Geffen Academy head of school Sibyll Carnochan Catalan and moderated by Christina Christie, the Wasserman Dean of the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies.

As the discussion began, Frenk briefly reflected on the experiences that have shaped his leadership strategy, including his work as a global public health scholar, his previous tenure as president of the University of Miami, his time as Mexico's secretary of health and a multigenerational family history marked by antisemitism, migration and what he has described as the "kindness of strangers."

He then turned to the broader forces reshaping colleges and universities, from public skepticism about the value of higher education to the rapid technological change impacting the economy and the workplace.

The case for universities and UCLA for Life

"There is a questioning of higher education happening right now," Frenk said, noting that universities must do more than simply assert their relevance and value. "We need to earn back the trust of the public by demonstrating that we actually deliver that value."

He pointed to research showing that individuals with a four-year degree experience higher lifetime earnings, longer life expectancy, better health outcomes and higher levels of overall well-being. But he also argued that UCLA and other universities must rethink the role they play throughout a person's life since the traditional model of learning first, working second and retiring third no longer reflects economic and societal realities.

"Our students are graduating into the most dynamic labor market in history," he said.

As new industries emerge and existing jobs are reshaped or displaced by automation and AI, students cannot possibly acquire every skill they will need before entering the workforce. Instead, the most critical benefit universities can offer is a platform for continued learning and training, Frenk emphasized.

That idea sits at the heart of UCLA for Life, one of four flagship initiatives that define the university's One UCLA vision. The initiative envisions a shift from a closed educational system defined by admission at one end and graduation at the other, to an open model in which the university remains a learning partner throughout an individual's entire career.

"We're trying to change this model, where we front-load the cost and content - the investment of your own time and money - to one that accompanies you throughout your entire life," Frenk said. "You'll have a longer runway, and therefore many opportunities to reinvent yourself."

Preparing students for work, life and beyond

The conversation also touched on the social dimensions of higher education. University and college campuses, Frenk said, are often the most diverse environments students encounter, bringing together people who "look, sound, pray and love differently."

Learning to navigate those differences with curiosity and respect, he said, is not secondary to education but essential preparation for participation in the workforce and society.

For Geffen Academy students, Frenk encouraged openness and intellectual flexibility as they look toward higher education and beyond. The American liberal arts model, he said, offers a rare opportunity to explore interests, question assumptions and change course. Students should be prepared to pivot if they discover new passions or paths they had not previously considered.

Throughout the discussion, Frenk returned to a consistent theme: education as a lifelong identity rather than a finite phase. In an era defined by rapid technological change and economic and political uncertainty, thriving and simply navigating daily life requires continuous learning.