Teaching international relations: How AI redefines universities
The sooner universities embrace transformation, the better equipped they will be to thrive in the future.
How many International Relations (IR) professors have used Google’s new AI tool NotebookkLM? Just wondering, because it basically makes what you do everyday, absolutely pointless!
We teach basic courses like Introductory IR and Case Studies in Strategic Culture, or advanced courses in our own fields, like Dynamics of Asian Business or Security Concepts in the Asia-Pacific - and they’re all pretty much pointless. Every book on your course list can be turned into an informative lecture, a study guide, a timeline, study notes, study questions and answers, or podcasts and soon videos using NotebookkLM.
On top of all that, at the bottom of your heart, you know that nobody actually needs a degree in IR. Sure, they need a degree to get into a graduate program to work as a public servant, but do they really? It’s true, a public servant needs to be intelligent, but is Asian Business or Security Concepts in the Asia-Pacific really needed? No! And if it was, they could pick it up in a micro-credential or get an in-house training program in the public service. The entire structure of what you’re doing is a ponzi scheme of the education sector, and it will end soon.
Then there’s the research that you’re forced to churn out in a factory model that rewards the volume of research rather than quality. Yes, there’s metrics like citations or impact scores, but these are so well rigged that they sail better than the Sloop John B. You’re churning out this research so that universities get higher rankings, which then get more students, which you then teach more pointless courses. Again, the entire structure of what you’re doing is a ponzi scheme of the education sector, and it will end soon.
This is the end, my friend
The traditional university model is facing unprecedented disruption. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, from large language models to advanced data analysis platforms, the ways in which we teach and learn are being fundamentally transformed. AI is making many aspects of conventional university education redundant, necessitating a radical rethink of how higher education is structured and delivered. In this future, smaller class sizes, elite-focused learning environments, and a return to universities as hubs for the academically gifted rather than mass education seem not only inevitable but also necessary.
The conventional university model rests on three core pillars: lectures, group tutorials, and extensive readings. Yet AI tools have undermined the necessity of these approaches. Large language models, like ChatGPT, can generate detailed analyses of geopolitical events, compare international relations theories, and produce nuanced essays in seconds. In addition, AI-driven research assistants can provide instantaneous access to relevant literature, summarizing thousands of articles that would have taken students weeks to digest.
The role of the lecturer as a source of knowledge and gatekeeper of information has become obsolete. AI tools democratize access to this knowledge, empowering students to explore and analyze complex global issues independently. How many lecturers have you heard say “I’m just a human plagiarism detector,” or from the more cunning ones “Students turn in AI assignments, and I use AI to grade their assignments.”
This shift exposes a critical flaw in the traditional model. If information is freely accessible and analysis can be automated, then universities must rethink their purpose. The time-intensive lectures and large seminar discussions that defined the 20th-century learning experience are no longer adequate. Universities need to focus on skills that AI cannot easily replicate—deep critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to make value-based judgments about global politics.
Smaller, more focused classes
As AI tools become more integrated into higher education, the future model of teaching International Relations will require smaller classes and more personalized learning. Large lecture halls filled with students who passively absorb information are a relic of the past. Instead, effective education will demand more intimate settings where students work closely with expert instructors to refine their analytical capabilities and engage in meaningful debates that challenge their assumptions.
Small class sizes will foster a collaborative learning environment in which students and professors can co-create knowledge. Instead of memorizing theories, students will engage in Socratic-style discussions, problem-solving simulations, and scenario planning exercises that push them to think beyond the outputs of AI. Professors will need to focus more on mentorship, helping students develop intellectual independence and ethical reasoning—qualities that cannot be outsourced to machines.
However, scaling down class sizes will require universities to dramatically reduce the number of enrolled students. This necessity presents a challenge to the mass-education model embraced by many institutions today, which prioritizes revenue generation over academic rigor. A new educational paradigm will have to emerge—one that prioritizes depth over breadth and invests in the development of a select group of students with exceptional talent and commitment.
Reverting to the original purpose of universities
Historically, universities were never intended to serve the masses. In the medieval period, universities were elite institutions focused on developing scholars, philosophers, and theologians. However, with the democratization of education in the 20th century, universities evolved into mass institutions catering to millions of students. While this expansion has made higher education more accessible, it also diluted the quality of education, particularly in disciplines where nuanced thinking and careful analysis are essential.
AI is now forcing universities to reconsider their purpose. If technology can teach large groups of students more efficiently than human instructors, then universities must reorient themselves toward what they do best: fostering intellectual excellence and advancing specialized knowledge. This shift will inevitably involve limiting access to higher education and returning to a model that serves a smaller cohort of academically gifted students. The focus will no longer be on scaling education to the masses but on cultivating intellectual leaders who can engage deeply with the complexities of global affairs.
While this vision may seem elitist, it aligns with the reality that not all students require a traditional university education to succeed in the modern world. Many professions will increasingly value micro-credentials, practical experience, and AI-driven learning platforms over traditional degrees. For those who seek to master the complexities of International Relations, however, universities will remain vital spaces—ones that are more selective and intensive than ever before.
Toward a new educational model
The future of teaching International Relations lies in abandoning the one-size-fits-all approach. Universities must move away from their obsession with metrics like enrollment numbers and graduation rates and focus instead on quality over quantity. The ability to think critically, engage in meaningful debate, and generate original insights will be the currency of success in a world dominated by AI.
Smaller, elite learning communities will become the cornerstone of higher education, allowing students and faculty to engage deeply with ideas that require sustained reflection and discussion. Universities will focus on training future diplomats, policymakers, and scholars capable of navigating a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape—not on churning out graduates for the sake of maintaining enrollment numbers.
This shift will also encourage universities to redefine the role of the educator. Professors will become mentors and intellectual collaborators rather than mere lecturers. Their expertise will be leveraged to guide students through the increasingly complex world of international politics, helping them interpret AI-generated data through a critical lens and develop arguments that are both well-informed and morally grounded.
AI is disrupting the traditional university model, making large lectures and mass education irrelevant. In the future, universities will need to embrace smaller, more focused learning environments and prioritize intellectual depth over scalability. This shift will mark a return to the original purpose of universities as spaces for cultivating gifted minds, rather than institutions designed to accommodate the masses. As AI continues to automate knowledge and streamline analysis, universities must pivot toward what only they can provide: the cultivation of critical thinking, intellectual independence, and ethical leadership.
Australia, and perhaps other countries, have an added problem. The university (and other tertiary provider) sector has become a fancy immigration pathway. The entire Australian economy is built around the value of residential properties (now the second most expensive in the world in a country with one of the lowest population densities in the world). Immigration keeps house prices high, and foreign students are one means to ensure this occurs. The abysmal situation of university administrators telling lecturers to pass students who don’t even attend classes or do exams because they pay is not unheard of. If the university sector in other countries needs to transform, the Australian university sector needs to be dismantled and rebuilt.
Teaching International Relations in this new era will be about more than understanding global trends—it will be about training the next generation of leaders to think creatively, judge wisely, and engage thoughtfully with the complexities of an AI-driven world. The sooner universities embrace this transformation, the better equipped they will be to thrive in the future.