What if universities operated more like startups than museums?
That question anchored Rice University Vice President for Global Strategy Caroline Levander’s recent appearance on the “Keen On America” podcast, where she spoke with host Andrew Keen about her forthcoming book “Invent Ed: How an American Tradition of Innovation Can Transform College Today.”
Levander argued that higher education is facing a pivotal moment — one in which institutions must decide whether to preserve the past or build for the future. Her book, forthcoming from Penguin Random House in December, calls for a more dynamic, risk-tolerant university culture.
“‘Invent Ed’ focuses on adaptation as a mechanism for survival, but also for thriving,” Levander said. “The history of universities has been one of adaptation.”
During the conversation, Levander described a vision of education that empowers students not only to absorb knowledge but to shape new ways of thinking.
“This is the magic of an education: untapping your creative capability,” Levander said.
Her approach reframes college as a place where students can learn to navigate uncertainty and even failure — a trait she believes is essential in the age of artificial intelligence.
That theme resonated throughout the episode, particularly when Keen asked whether AI might eventually replace traditional universities. Levander pointed to history for perspective. When massive open online courses, or MOOCs, first appeared in 2012, some predicted they would render campus learning obsolete. More than a decade later, she said, technology has instead been integrated into higher education in ways that enrich the student experience. AI, Levander predicted, will likely follow a similar trajectory as a tool to enhance, not erase, the university.
The conversation also touched on what Levander calls “dropout culture,” the idea that innovation flourishes outside of academia. Instead of accepting that narrative, she urged universities to cultivate the kind of curiosity and entrepreneurial energy that once drove figures like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to leave campus.
“How many more Steve Jobses can we actually graduate and support over long, transformative careers?” Levander asked.
At its heart, “Invent Ed” challenges universities to rethink not only what they teach but how they function. Levander likens the ideal university to a “messy hack space,” a place where experimentation, collaboration and occasional failure fuel discovery.
“‘Are we a museum or are we a startup?’” Levander said, suggesting every university needs to consider the question.
The best universities, she suggested, are intentionally both: preserving wisdom while constantly reimagining its use.
For Levander, the question of whether college is “worth it” depends on how students and educators approach it.
“If you know how to use a university wisely and correctly, it is the engine for your life in the workplace,” Levander said, adding that that means learning how to “drive it right” — to treat college not as a static credential, but as a laboratory for reinvention.
Levander’s full interview is available on the “Keen On America” podcast and “Invent Ed” is now available for preorder ahead of its Dec. 16 release.