Student-staff partnerships for democracy, justice, and hope in higher education

In this editorial, we reflect on the role of student-as-partners work in a world where human and humane ways of living are threatened by climate change, wars, the displacement of millions of people, and political moves for many governments away from democracy and toward the Right.In addition, it seems that Big Tech is taking over the world, controlling our data and often seeming more powerful than citizens' rights.Here we focus on two challenges that are foremost in our minds as we move into 2025: political change and the rise of generative AI as a pervasive technology that influences many aspects of our daily lives.We highlight how Students as Partners (SaP) can counter these challenges, especially in higher education.We reflect on potential paths forward for SaP and higher education, suggesting that during troubling times, SaP offers distinctive features supporting current faculty and students while presenting opportunities to shape a more just future in higher education.Specifically, we reflect on how democracy is at risk, how student partners perceive this threat, and how SaP work needs to build upon social justice principles, be grounded in theory, and continue creating spaces of reflection and support to foster a sense of hope.