Academia Is Beyond Broken - And No One Wants to fix it!

Academia is broken. That’s a phrase we hear more and more, but what does it actually mean? Why is academia broken, and how did it reach this point?

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In this video, I explore the realities of working in higher education today, based on a major new report that gathered insights from over 4,000 academics, faculty members, and administrators. Their experiences paint a clear picture of a system that is struggling—one where burnout is the norm, not the exception, and where toxic workplace dynamics have become deeply ingrained.

A toxic work culture doesn’t emerge overnight. It builds slowly, fed by unrealistic expectations, a lack of proper leadership training, and a structural design that encourages competition over collaboration. In academia, success is often a zero-sum game—if one researcher secures funding, another misses out. This scarcity-driven mindset fuels environments where backstabbing, overwork, and fear of failure take precedence over actual intellectual progress. It’s a system that claims to value knowledge and innovation but often rewards those who play the bureaucratic game best.

Many academics report feeling trapped in a cycle of increasing demands with decreasing support. Instead of hiring replacements when staff leave, institutions simply distribute the extra work among those who remain. The result? A workforce drowning in administrative tasks, unable to dedicate enough time to the research and teaching that should be at the heart of their careers. Employee morale suffers as universities prioritize performance metrics, rankings, and funding over the well-being of their staff.

Perhaps the most concerning part is that this problem isn’t new. For years, academics have raised concerns, but meaningful change remains elusive. Universities continue to operate as businesses, focused on growth and reputation rather than fostering environments where research and education can truly thrive. So, if academia is broken, can it ever be fixed? That’s the question we need to start asking—before it’s too late.
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▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:43 Welcome
00:59 Toxic Work Environment
04:39 Increased Workload and Burnout
08:01 Lack of Recognition and Appreciation
11:37 Corporitization of Higher Education
13:02 Impact on Teaching and Research
14:44 Conclusion
14:49 Outro

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