Unfixed is a podcast for anyone interested in how generative AI is transforming higher education, from teachers and administrators to students and curious learners. Hosted by the faculty behind the blog Melts into Air, it offers candid reflections on a university system in flux, where even the mission of higher ed is up for debate.
Ep. 43 What Can American Universities Learn from Germany? with Tony Waters
What can American universities learn from Germany, and how are the two countries responding to the disruption of AI? Sociologist Tony Waters joins Unfixed to compare higher education in Germany and the United States. Drawing on decades of teaching in both countries, Tony explores differences in student expectations, faculty responsibilities, and approaches to teaching and learning. We also discuss how German universities have responded to generative AI, European concerns about American technology companies, and how the current AI moment compares to earlier technological changes in higher education. Along the way, we consider what universities in both countries should preserve, what needs to change, and what each system might learn from the other.
12 Oct 2026
Ep. 42 What Comes Next for AI in the CSU? with Ed Clark
What does AI strategy look like when you’re responsible for technology across the largest four-year public university system in the country? Ed Clark, Chief Information Officer for the California State University, joins us to discuss the CSU’s approach to generative AI. We dig into the decision to extend the system’s OpenAI agreement, the argument for AI access as an equity issue, concerns about cost and the technology itself, and what might come next, including other AI tools and open-source models. We also talk about the changing job market for graduates and the role of faculty in shaping the CSU’s AI future.
5 Oct 2026
Ep. 41 The View Without the Climb: Skills in the Age of AI with Ciarán Dunne
What should universities teach when information is abundant, AI can produce polished work in seconds, and graduates are entering an increasingly uncertain world? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ciarán Dunne, Transversal Skills Director at Dublin City University, about DCU’s ambitious effort to formally integrate skills such as critical thinking, ethical decision making, creativity, collaboration, personal agility, and data literacy across university programs. Ciarán defines “transversal skills” and compares them to the familiar language of “soft skills.” He argues that developing these capabilities shouldn’t be confused with reducing higher education to job training, and why AI has made this work even more urgent. We also compare and contrast the higher education system in Ireland vs. California and the US more broadly.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 29 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
46
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University
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