Holixec Education: From Atomistic and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Holixec Intelligence (HI) for Human-Centric Leadership in the Phygital Age

Batat (2024a) introduced Holixec education as a transformative framework for higher education, emphasizing its human-centric, execution-driven, adaptive, and interdisciplinary learning model designed for the evolving phygital workplace, where physical and digital learning experiences and business models seamlessly integrate. In response, six commentaries critically examined Holixec education, offering perspectives that either advocate for its transformational potential or highlight structural barriers to its adoption. This rejoinder paper synthesizes these commentaries, clarifies points of agreement and divergence, and refines key themes based on their insights. Specifically, I categorize the perspectives into two overarching viewpoints—those supporting systemic change (“planting Holixec learning trees”) and those emphasizing institutional resistance (“the rocky soil hindering Holixec learning trees”). By providing a structured roadmap for overcoming resistance, this paper advances discussions on Holixec education's implementation, examines institutional feasibility, and explores key adaptation strategies. Additionally, it investigates the shift from atomistic and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven learning to Holixec Intelligence (HI) as a foundation for human-centric leadership in the phygital age, and the broader transformation of higher education to meet future demands.