New territory for the university: in a dialogue with <i>skhole</i>

Purpose This study aims to question the future orientation of universities by focusing on the ontological conditions of universities through the concept of skhole. It argues that it must go beyond traditional university models defined through the instrumental relations they have established with the city, market, industry and technology, such as entrepreneurial, digital or corporate. In this context, the concept of skhole, defined by qualities such as freedom, anti-instrumentalism and intellectual existence, offers a fertile intellectual ground for establishing alternative and speculative images of the university. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts an interdisciplinary and conceptual approach, nourished by Foucault’s “archaeological excavation” method and Lefebvre’s “supercoding” theory. The university is addressed through four axes – space, relationship, condition and time – evaluated through skhole’s conceptual lens. Findings This study reveals that the structure of skhole, which is woven with concepts such as suspension, openness and exposure, enables the rethinking of the spatial, relational, temporal and conditional dimensions of the university. In this framework, the university is considered a dynamic ontological formation with the potential for transformation rather than a fixed and unchanging structure. This four-axis matrix constructed around skhole offers a speculative ground for thinking so that universities can adapt to the changes they will face in the future in the fields of governance, pedagogical practices and digital transformation. This study suggests that this approach allows for the combination of concepts to guide universities through future transformations, enabling them to better adapt to ever-changing learning/teaching practices. Originality/value The originality of this study is that it reconsiders the university through skhole from a philosophical and ontological perspective. Instead of offering specific solution prescriptions, it opens a critical and speculative space that encourages rethinking institutional futures. By proposing an intellectual orientation that shifts from functionality to possibility, it contributes to discourses on non-instrumental education and develops a theoretical framework compatible with foresight-based methodologies for higher education.