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Leadership

A message from the chancellor: Preparing for careers that don’t exist yet

Tar Heels don’t just cope with an uncertain future, they learn the skills and build the confidence to shape it.

The Old well.

Dear Carolina Community,

The world is moving fast. I’ve been listening with fascination as our faculty and students discuss ChatGPT and the rise of “generative AI,” algorithms that can write, create art and spit out flawless computer code. Like so many new technologies over the past few years, artificial intelligence holds huge promise for both progress and disruption. We will have to answer a lot of questions about how we respond in higher education.

There’s excitement in that unsettled future — and more than a little anxiety. That’s why we prepare our students to thrive in the face of uncertainty. We are living through a period of incredible growth and change, with jobs and careers that look vastly different than they did just a few years ago. A Carolina education must give our students the tools to face the uncertainty of our world and to be successful in careers that don’t exist yet.

I am confident that we are doing this at Carolina because I hear stories from our alumni of how their Carolina education gave them the skills they needed to be successful. However, we can do better. Today, I’ve charged a thoughtful group of professors, Board of Trustees members, alumni, administrators and current students to think creatively about how we’re preparing our students for the world beyond Carolina. They’ll take a comprehensive look at the UNC-Chapel Hill experience and suggest how we can better equip our graduates for rewarding work and a meaningful life.

Tar Heels don’t just cope with an uncertain future, they learn the skills and build the confidence to shape it. That’s always been our mission, and I look forward to hearing new ideas from across our community.

Sincerely,

Kevin M. GuskiewiczChancellor