Higher Ed Isn’t Broken. But It Does Need to Work Smarter.

What we learned from our chat with Dr. Pablo Molina

There’s a lot of talk these days about “disrupting” or “reinventing” higher education. But the truth is, education doesn’t need a total overhaul — it needs to work better for the people it’s meant to serve. That’s something Dr. Pablo Molina, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Drexel University, made crystal clear when we sat down to talk.

His message was simple: The goal isn’t to replace classrooms with code. It’s to create smarter, more flexible ways to teach, learn, and grow — both for students and for the institutions supporting them.

We couldn’t agree more.

At Softtek, we’re not interested in change for the sake of change. We focus on what drives real outcomes — whether that’s applying AI to improve student experiences, modernizing core systems, or supporting more connected, responsive learning environments. We’ve seen first-hand how the right digital foundation can make a real difference — not just in business, but in higher education too.

A longtime CIO and CISO and respected voice in the edtech space, Dr. Molina emphasized the importance of relevance — students want skills they can apply now, not years down the line. As he put it: “Our next generations of knowledge workers, our next employees coming from the schools today, are going to be spectacular, spectacular employees.” That demand for real-world value is something we hear across sectors. It’s not just about innovation — it’s about impact.

He also touched on the growing importance of global collaboration. Nearshore delivery models, like the ones we use at Softtek, help higher education institutions move faster, stay flexible, and co-create in real time — without the friction.

Watch the full conversation with Dr. Pablo Molina

As Dr. Molina reminded us in closing: “In order to solve problems, one must have a clear thinking, a strategic thinking, a clear vision of what is it that you’re trying to do… and then be very disciplined about it.”
While every sector faces its own challenges, one thing holds true across the board: meaningful progress happens when people, technology, and purpose move in sync. That’s the kind of dialogue — and action — worth investing in.

Want to explore how digital strategies can drive real results in your institution?
Let’s talk. https://www.softtek.com/higher-education