How the Mindset of Today’s Students has Changed in Comparison with Previous Generations

Abstract

Our universities are undergoing an image and cultural transformation driven by the emergence of a new generation of students whose expectations, motivations, and modes of engagement differ fundamentally from those of earlier cohorts. This article initiates the search for a model and the analysis of a student mindset as a defining factor in the reconfiguration of academic environments, institutional practices, and educational trajectories. Whereas until recently the traditional model of the university functioned as a stage granting access to stable employment, today’s students prioritise autonomy and personal development, constructing individualised academic and professional pathways. Their relationship with authority becomes dialogical, replacing passive reception with active participation and negotiation within university governance. At the same time, the opening of university boundaries enables operation beyond geographical and institutional limits, giving rise to a new type of educational experience—one that is transnational. The article argues for the necessity of adapting forms of higher education to this new vision, recognising students as more than mere recipients of knowledge; in fact, they are those who shape academic and societal directions.