Why Education Has to Change

Horowitz and Jason 学院 (HAA) 已宣布成为一项新的教育事业，旨在彻底改变人工智能时代的学习方式。这项倡议的关键人物 Ben 表示，虽然当下可能是“人类历史上最适合年轻人的时代”，但现有的教育结构却不适应快速变化的世界。他认为，传统大学系统很好地服务于有志于学术研究的人，但对于那些只寻求就业或创业机会的人来说，却是一个“奇怪的提议”，因为它要求投入大量资金和时间，却并非总能提供相关技能。 HAA 通过提供独特、亲力亲为、基于项目的方法来解决这一问题，该方法专为渴望创造并产生影响力的“年轻的建造者”设计。学院旨在为科技行业提供关键技能，利用 A16Z (Andreessen Horowitz) 及其 1600 家投资组合公司庞大的网络。首席执行官兼创始人 Goggin 带来了十年创新教育经验，他曾共同创立 Udemy 和 Maven。 发言者批评以前的教育实验过于狭隘，往往未能复制传统大学所提供的全面的“一揽子”体验，例如社会发展、地位和乐趣。HAA 旨在提供“可与大学媲美的体验”，虽然不授予学位，但提供住宿，促进同伴之间强大的社交互动，并将学生直接与硅谷的顶尖雇主联系起来。 至关重要的是，HAA 位于旧金山是经过深思熟虑的选择。在伯克利长大的 Ben 强调，湾区是公司创立、创新以及接受建设性失败和“正和”心态文化的全球中心。旧金山被设想为学院的校园，将学生沉浸在一个充满活力的生态系统中，他们可以接触真实世界的项目，获得 Databricks、NVIDIA 和 Stripe 等公司的合作项目和实习机会，并吸收“硅谷精神”。 作为独立的营利性实体运营的决定，强调了 HAA 对学生成功的承诺。这种模式确保学生是主要的“客户”，从而使提供最佳成果的激励机制保持一致。希望 HAA 不仅能服务于其学生，还能激励包括哈佛等传统大学在内的其他机构，采用类似的创新模式，最终造福所有年轻人。 HAA 的教学法强调“点燃火焰”而非“填满水桶”，侧重于好奇心驱动的学习。鼓励学生追求他们的自然兴趣，并将其转化为有形的“产出”或项目，无论是建造一只机器狗还是用书法创作一首伊斯兰诗歌。这种方法有助于通过现实世界的团队协作和解决问题来培养基本的“人际交往能力”，而非理论性的课堂教学。Ben 强调，真正的领导力学习来自于“实践”、处理冲突，以及在实践中理解决策的后果。 展望未来五年，Ben 设想 HAA 毕业生将在他们热爱的事业中蓬勃发展，创办创新公司，并成为能够通过各种媒介展现其思想的“非凡创造者”。学院旨在超越技术领域，培养一代“主角”，能够解决世界上最紧迫的问题并塑造未来。

The Horowitz and Jason Academy (HAA) has been announced as a new educational venture, aiming to revolutionize learning for the AI era. Ben, a key figure in the initiative, states that while the present moment is potentially the "greatest time in the history of humanity to be young," existing educational structures are ill-suited for a rapidly changing world. The traditional college system, he argues, effectively serves aspiring scholars but presents a "weird proposition" for those solely seeking employment or entrepreneurial opportunities, demanding substantial financial and time investments without always delivering relevant skills. HAA addresses this gap by offering a unique, hands-on, and project-based approach designed for "young builders" who are eager to create and make an impact. The academy is positioned to provide critical skills for the technology sector, leveraging the extensive network of A16Z (Andreessen Horowitz) and its 1600 portfolio companies. Goggin, the CEO and founder, brings a decade of experience in innovative education, having co-founded Udemy and Maven. The speakers criticize previous educational experiments for being too narrow, often failing to replicate the comprehensive "bundle" of experiences that make traditional college appealing, such as social development, status, and enjoyment. HAA aims for a "college comparable experience" that, while not degree-granting, is residential, fosters strong social dynamics among peers, and connects students directly to leading employers in Silicon Valley. Crucially, HAA's location in San Francisco is a deliberate choice. Ben, having grown up in Berkeley, highlights the Bay Area as a global hub for company creation, innovation, and a culture that embraces constructive failure and a "positive sum" mentality. San Francisco is envisioned as the academy's campus, immersing students in a vibrant ecosystem where they can gain exposure to real-world projects, secure co-ops and internships with companies like Databricks, NVIDIA, and Stripe, and absorb the "Silicon Valley spirit." The decision to operate as a separate, for-profit entity underscores HAA's commitment to student success. This model ensures that the student is the primary "customer," aligning incentives to deliver the best possible outcomes. The hope is that HAA will not only serve its students but also inspire other institutions, including traditional universities like Harvard, to adopt similar innovative models, ultimately benefiting all young people. HAA's pedagogy emphasizes "lighting a fire" rather than "filling a bucket," focusing on curiosity-driven learning. Students are encouraged to pursue their natural interests and transform them into tangible "outputs" or projects, whether it's building a robot dog or writing an Islamic poem in calligraphy. This approach facilitates the development of essential "people skills" through real-world team collaboration and problem-solving, rather than theoretical classroom instruction. Ben stresses that true learning in leadership comes from "doing it," dealing with conflict, and understanding the consequences of decisions in practice. Looking five years ahead, Ben envisions HAA graduates thriving in careers they love, starting innovative companies, and becoming "incredible creatives" who can manifest their ideas across various mediums. The academy aims to expand beyond technology, fostering a generation of "main characters" capable of tackling the world's most pressing problems and shaping the future.