The University of Kamalia (UKM) has hosted an international dialogue on “Transformation of Universities for Digital and Artificial Intelligence Readiness,” bringing together leading vice chancellors, educationists, and artificial intelligence experts from Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia to discuss how higher education institutions can responsibly embrace the AI revolution.
The online dialogue was organized under the ISLAH Consortium in collaboration with the University of Education Lahore, Government College University Lahore, Thal University Bhakkar, and Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan. The session was chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Kamalia, Prof Dr Yasir Nawab.
Prominent speakers included Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry, Prof Dr Umar Chaudhry, Dr John Arthur, Prof Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Chattha, Prof Dr Saeed Ahmad Buzdar, Prof Dr Ashiq Anjum, and Prof Dr Tariq Zaman. The experts explored the opportunities, challenges, and future direction of integrating artificial intelligence into higher education systems.
Addressing the participants, Prof Dr Yasir Nawab emphasized that preparing universities for the AI era requires a comprehensive institutional transformation rather than isolated initiatives.
He stated that AI readiness cannot be achieved merely by introducing a single course, conducting workshops, or purchasing software. Instead, universities must redesign their academic structures, governance models, teaching practices, and research ecosystems to effectively harness the potential of artificial intelligence.
During the discussion, Dr John Arthur and Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry highlighted AI’s expanding role in developing teaching materials, supporting students through personalized learning, providing timely feedback, analyzing institutional data, and improving administrative efficiency. They stressed that AI has the potential to significantly enhance both academic quality and institutional performance when implemented responsibly.
Participants unanimously agreed that artificial intelligence has become an integral component of modern education. However, they emphasized that AI should be used to strengthen human intelligence, creativity, critical thinking, and academic judgment rather than replace them.
The experts identified transparency, privacy, information verification, and human accountability as the guiding principles for the ethical adoption of AI in higher education. They recommended that students clearly disclose the use of AI tools in academic assignments, while universities should avoid uploading sensitive academic, research, or administrative data to unauthorized AI platforms.
The dialogue also highlighted the importance of ensuring equitable access to AI technologies across higher education institutions. Participants recommended that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and university consortia jointly develop shared licensing arrangements, secure institutional AI platforms, common computing infrastructure, and affordable indigenous AI solutions to benefit universities across Pakistan.
The speakers further stressed the need to strengthen AI research by developing technologies based on Pakistani languages, local datasets, and national priorities to ensure that AI innovation addresses the country’s educational and societal needs.
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Concluding the dialogue, participants agreed that universities should neither reject artificial intelligence nor adopt it without clear policies, ethical safeguards, and governance frameworks. They emphasized that equipping faculty, students, and institutional systems with the knowledge and capacity for responsible, ethical, and context-sensitive AI use is among the most urgent priorities for higher education in the digital age.
