University of Kamalia, the first public-sector university established at the tehsil level, organized an international online dialogue on “Transformation of Universities for Digital and Artificial Intelligence Readiness” under the ISLAH Consortium.
The event was held in collaboration with the University of Education Lahore, Government College University Lahore, Thal University Bhakkar, and Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan. Vice Chancellors, educationists, and artificial intelligence experts from Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia participated in the dialogue.
The session was chaired by Prof Dr Yasir Nawab, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kamalia. Distinguished 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, who shared their insights on the opportunities and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence into higher education.
Addressing the participants, Prof Dr Yasir Nawab emphasized that preparing universities for artificial intelligence cannot be limited to introducing a single course, conducting workshops, or purchasing software. Speaking on the occasion, Dr John Arthur, Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry highlighted the growing role of AI in developing teaching materials, supporting students, providing feedback, analyzing data, and improving administrative efficiency.
The participants unanimously agreed that artificial intelligence has become an integral part of modern education. They noted that the real challenge is to use AI as a tool to enhance human thinking, creativity, and academic judgment rather than as a substitute for them. Transparency, privacy, information verification, and human accountability were identified as the fundamental principles for the responsible use of AI in higher education.
The speakers further emphasized that students should clearly disclose the use of AI in their academic work, while universities should avoid uploading sensitive academic, research, or administrative information to unauthorized AI platforms. The dialogue also underscored the importance of ensuring equitable access to AI technologies.
Experts recommended that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and university consortia collaborate on shared licensing arrangements, secure institutional AI platforms, shared computing infrastructure, and the development of affordable indigenous AI solutions.
They also highlighted the need to strengthen research capacity and develop AI systems based on Pakistani languages, local datasets, and national priorities. Concluding the dialogue, the participants agreed that universities should neither reject artificial intelligence outright nor adopt it without appropriate policies, ethical safeguards, and governance frameworks.
They stressed that preparing faculty, students, and institutional systems for the responsible, ethical, and context-sensitive use of AI is one of the most pressing priorities for higher education today.