The President of the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), Professor Clement K. Dzidonu, has called for a fundamental shift in how individuals, educational institutions and society think about learning in the age of Artificial Intelligence, arguing that graduation can no longer be regarded as the end of the learning journey.
Professor Dzidonu, in a press release, advocated for what he described as the Sovereign Lifelong Learner, or the "Sovereign Triple-L," an individual who takes ownership of continuing learning and assumes personal responsibility for continually renewing, deepening and extending their capabilities throughout professional and personal life.
According to the AIT President, the traditional model in which people undergo intensive education, graduate, enter a profession and rely for many years on much of the knowledge acquired during formal education is rapidly becoming unsustainable.
"You went to university. You acquired knowledge. You graduated. You entered a profession. And for many years, much of what you had learned remained relevant to what you were called upon to do. That world is disappearing," he said.
He argued that Artificial Intelligence, rapidly advancing technologies, changing professional practices and the continuing reinvention of industries are transforming both the nature of work and the capabilities required to remain professionally relevant.
Professor Dzidonu's central proposition is that in the age of Artificial Intelligence and rapid technological change, education and professional development must increasingly be understood as a continuing journey rather than something that ends with the award of a certificate or degree. A university qualification remains important because it recognises what an individual has achieved at a particular point in time, but it cannot guarantee that the knowledge and capabilities acquired at that point will remain sufficient as technologies, professions and societal needs continue to evolve.
Graduation should therefore not signal the end of learning, he argues, but the beginning of a new phase in which individuals increasingly take responsibility for directing their own continuing learning and capability development.
"The Sovereign Triple-L is not simply someone who keeps taking courses, accumulates certificates, or waits until an employer sends them for training. The Sovereign Triple-L is a Sovereign Lifelong Learner, a person who takes ownership of continuing learning," he said.
He said this requires individuals continually to ask themselves what they know, what they can do, what they need to learn, what they must unlearn or relearn, where the gaps in their current capabilities are, and what they must become capable of doing that they cannot do today. The responsibility for answering these questions, he maintains, cannot rest entirely with universities, employers or technology providers.
Professor Dzidonu describes an individual's Skills, Expertise, Experience, Knowledge and Know-how collectively as SEEK. One of the defining challenges of the Artificial Intelligence age, he argues, is the SEEK-Gap, the changing distance between the SEEK individuals currently possess and the Skills, Expertise, Experience, Knowledge and Know-how increasingly required to remain capable, relevant and effective.
This gives rise to what he describes as an important paradox, namely that the more you know, the less you know. He, however, insists that this proposition does not mean that learning reduces knowledge. Rather, the frontier of what professionals can know, can do and are expected to be capable of doing is continually expanding.
He said Artificial Intelligence is expanding that frontier, as are new technologies, professional practices, tools, problems and possibilities. The challenge, therefore, is not simply to accumulate more knowledge, but to continually transform evolving SEEK into Professional-SEEK-Capabilities, the integrated capabilities required to perform, solve problems, exercise judgement, adapt, innovate, collaborate, create, lead and make a difference.
For Professor Dzidonu, lifelong learning is consequently becoming more than a desirable personal habit. "The future will increasingly belong to those who remain capable of learning what tomorrow requires," he said.
He argued that Artificial Intelligence should not simply be viewed as a technology that may render some existing knowledge or skills obsolete. Instead, it should prompt individuals to rethink what they learn, how they learn and how they can use technology to extend their capabilities.
"The more useful question is not merely, 'Will AI make what I learned obsolete?' It is: 'How will I use AI, technology, experience, reflection and continuous learning to keep renewing what I know and what I am capable of doing?'" he said.
Becoming a Sovereign Triple-L therefore does not mean surrendering human judgement or learning to Artificial Intelligence. Rather, individuals should learn with Artificial Intelligence, question it, challenge it and use it responsibly, while continuing to strengthen their own capacity to think, create, exercise judgement and learn.
At the heart of Professor Dzidonu's proposition is the Opportunity-Possibility-Difference Perspective, which provides a practical orientation for lifelong learning and continuing capability development. Seeing the opportunity means recognising that change, emerging technologies, unfamiliar assignments, mistakes, challenges and even disruption can become opportunities for learning and growth. Exploring the possibility means asking what new skills, expertise, experiences, knowledge, know-how and capabilities can emerge from those opportunities. Creating the difference represents the ultimate purpose of continuing learning, namely using what one learns and becomes capable of doing to create value, solve problems, improve lives, contribute to organisations and communities, and make a meaningful difference in the wider world.
Although articulated in the context of university graduation, he stresses that the Sovereign Triple-L mindset extends well beyond graduates. It is increasingly relevant to students, professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, business leaders, institutions and others seeking to remain capable and relevant in a rapidly changing world.
"Do not allow graduation to become the end of your learning journey. Let it become the beginning of a new one," he said.
The Accra Institute of Technology is a technology-focused university based in Accra, Ghana, committed to higher education, research, innovation and the development of graduates equipped to contribute meaningfully to Ghana, Africa and the wider world.
