Faculty Roles in the Era of Smart Institutions

Traditional faculty roles as “transmitters of knowledge” are undergoing a fundamental shift toward becoming mediators and network navigators within the emerging paradigm of smart institutions. This evolution is driven by the “smartization process”, which integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) into daily academic operations. While technology automates routine administrative burdens, it necessitates a new focus on “interwoven intelligence”, where faculty provide critical supervision of AI outputs and safeguard academic integrity against risks like “AIgiarism”. However, this transition introduces professional friction, including “technostress”, “digital bureaucracy” and the potential “deprofessionalisation” of academic labour. To navigate these challenges, in this chapter we propose that a “hybrid mentoring” model could serve as a possible approach to assist in synthesising AI-driven efficiency with the relational depth of human empathy. Successful integration requires institutional support through bottom-up governance, comprehensive AI literacy, and workload models that officially recognise the “invisible” digital design and maintenance. Ultimately, the faculty role in smart institutions must balance technological precision with the essential human touch to ensure education remains a process of interpersonal understanding.