QS: Tell me about the Institute for the Future of Education. When was it established and how does it plan to change education?

The Institute for the Future of Education was established in 2020 by Tecnológico de Monterrey to address one of the most urgent challenges of our time: ensuring that education continues to generate opportunity in a world marked by rapid social, technological and economic change.

Our mission is simple but transformative: to improve higher education and lifelong learning globally through research-based innovation. We provide an open and collaborative platform for convening experts, universities, governments and ed-tech innovators, and spark collective action to translate research into evidence-based, scalable solutions that strengthen learning outcomes, institutional capabilities and educational and training ecosystems.

We are operating at a moment when education systems worldwide are under strain — in large part due to technological disruption, geopolitics, demographic shifts, financial pressures and declining public trust. Reports from the OECD, UNESCO, and World Bank all point to the same reality: higher education must reinvent itself. Our work accelerates that reinvention.

QS: A motto of the institute is around giving everyone a FAIR education, standing for Fit for purpose, Adaptive, Inclusive, and Relevant. What was the process behind thinking that up and what does that look like in practice?

The FAIR model emerged from a deep understanding of the historical development of higher education systems, global socio-economic trends, institutional opportunities and challenges, and the diverse needs of learners and populace. As we examined the evolution of universities — from their medieval origins to the modern research model — it is clear that the systems we built for the 20th century can’t meet the demands of the 21st.

Each pillar of the FAIR model reflects a core design principle for the future university:

• Fit for Purpose - Universities must adopt educational models that meet the diverse and evolving needs of learners, informed by best practices in pedagogy, neuroscience and technology. This includes the use of AI, data analytics and digital tools to personalise learning and redesign teaching in ways that demonstrably improve learning outcomes.
• Adaptive - Institutions must align their offerings to real-world challenges, local development priorities, and individuals’ evolving career paths. This includes providing modular, multi-modal learning and flexible pathways that allow learners to progress in ways that best suit their personal, professional and civic goals.
• Inclusive - Higher education must broaden access for working adults, marginalised communities and individuals seeking new skills at any stage of life. Inclusion is not just enrollment; it is about ensuring that all learners can persist, complete and succeed.
• Relevant - Universities have the responsibility to stay closely connected to the evolving demands of society and labor markets. This includes aligning programmes with emerging skills, societal challenges and community needs. Relevance is about staying ahead: anticipating technological shifts, engaging with employers and ensuring graduates are prepared not just for today’s jobs but tomorrow’s opportunities.

FAIR is both a framework and an operational model. It guides our research agenda, our partnerships and our work with universities across Latin America and beyond.

QS: The institute focusses its attention on transformative change in higher education. Let’s talk about Big Bold Ideas. What is the institute’s bold idea for the future of universities?

One of our Big Bold Ideas is that the university of the future is not a place — it’s a lifelong learning ecosystem.

We envision universities becoming:

• Lifelong learning hubs that support people throughout their careers and civic lives.
• Flexible, modular, and stackable in their learning pathways.
• Deeply connected to society, tackling community challenges and contributing to sustainable development.
• Trusted institutions that drive equity, innovation and social mobility.
• Skill-rich environments where learners gain not just disciplinary knowledge but the transversal and problem-solving abilities needed for a rapidly evolving world.

This vision is supported by our research and by global thought leaders, emphasising the necessity of scaling access, widening participation and ensuring that universities deliver meaningful value to society.

We believe universities can — and must — become engines of societal transformation, and be unquestionably respected and trusted by their societies.

QS: How is transformative change implemented across the sector?

Transformation requires a combination of research, structured frameworks and coordinated action. That’s why we are developing the Future University Maturity Models, which helps institutions assess where they are and design pathways forward across six key dimensions:

1. Flexible & lifelong learning
2. Innovative learning & teaching models
3. Skills for the future
4. Civic & community engagement
5. Inclusive access & student success
6. Performance evaluation & continuous improvement

We are combining this with a multi-year, multi-institution strategy:

• 2025–2027: Development of a Future-Ready University Playbook, maturity assessments, and a University Transformation Lab.
• 2027–2030: Pilots with hundreds of universities and the publication of the region’s first transformation dashboards.
• 2030–2035: Systemic adoption, including a substantial number of deeply transformed universities and several global exemplars.

This approach draws reference from global best practices, such as the U.K.'s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), Singapore’s SkillsFuture movement, and Australia’s lifelong learning reforms – demonstrations of the power of evidence-based, system-level coordination.

QS: Many institutions feel a need to change, but that change may not necessarily be happening fast enough. There are many stakeholders involved and it’s challenging bringing everyone along. How can universities overcome those challenges?

Universities face legitimate constraints — regulations, governance complexity, financial pressures, cultural inertia and competing stakeholder expectations. But change becomes possible when institutions focus on a few strategic levers:

• Start with purpose - Universities must clarify what societal challenges they aim to address. Purpose brings alignment. The mission of Tec Educational Group goes well beyond elite university students, to serve learners and communities from diverse backgrounds across Mexico, Latin America and beyond.
• Build coalitions, not committees - Transformation succeeds when faculty, students, industry partners and community leaders are all engaged as co-designers, not passive stakeholders. IFE’s NOVUS programme puts faculty at the heart of experimentation and scaling innovative teaching and learning approaches.
• Invest in data and evidence - Universities need reliable mechanisms to understand student progress, identify risks and measure educational impact. Data-informed decision-making accelerates consensus. IFE’s Impact Measurement and Data Hub teams support the design of evidence-based interventions.
• Show early wins - Short-cycle credentials, micro-internships and community projects demonstrate tangible progress and build momentum. The Tec21 transformation to a fully competency and challenge-based education model was built on successive waves of progress.
• Partner for scale - Networks accelerate change. IFE’s collaborations with UNESCO, OECD, the AI Global Education Network (AIGEN) of Latin American institutions, and edtech accelerators across continents demonstrate how cross-border partnerships can drive rapid innovation.

The key is to embrace transformation not as a threat, but as an opportunity to regain the university’s relevance and societal trust.

QS: At the start of next year, the IFE Conference will take place. What can we expect from that?

The IFE Conference 2026, taking place 27–29 January 2026 in Monterrey, Mexico, will bring together more than 4,000 global education leaders, policymakers, innovators, and researchers.

Attendees can expect:

• Novel research on digital learning, AI, future skills, and educational innovation.
• Showcases of institutional transformation from across Latin America and the world.
• High-level panels featuring global voices in education policy and innovation.
• Networking opportunities with universities, ed-tech startups, multi-lateral development banks, governments, NGOs, and international organizations.
• Workshops and labs designed to help leaders design and scale new models of learning.

Since its inception 2006, this conference has become one of the world’s most important gatherings for educational innovation, with past editions drawing more than 34,000 participants from over 40 countries.