SAARC experts urge prudent use of AI in higher education

KIRTIPUR: Experts from SAARC countries have urged the prudent use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education and called on governments to move quickly to draft policies to prevent misuse.

The call came at a policy dialogue titled 'Charting Responsible and Innovative AI Integration in Higher Education', which opened in the capital on Wednesday. The event was organised by Tribhuvan University with financial support from the Asian Development Bank and UNESCO.

Participants included vice chancellors, professors and researchers from leading universities in Nepal, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan. Speakers highlighted the need to equip faculty and students with AI skills, strengthen institutional capacity and improve research efficiency through the conscious application of AI tools.

Tribhuvan University Vice Chancellor Prof Sushil Bahadur Bajracharya urged that higher education be made more qualitative and globally relevant through careful AI use. He said professors and students should be trained in AI, institutional development should be prioritised, research efficiency should be enhanced, and the government should enact policies and laws to support responsible AI adoption.

Ambassador of China to Nepal Zhang Maoming said AI development has brought widespread changes to human thinking and noted increased Chinese investment in research to ensure sustainable use of the technology and to meet potential challenges. He added, "All countries should emphasise the positive and human-utilitarian use of technology through mutual cooperation and collaboration."

On the sidelines of the dialogue, the International Institute for Online Education (IIOE) Nepal was launched. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the institute was signed by TU Acting Rector Prof Dr Shankar Prasad Khanal and Bi Xiaohan, deputy director of the UNESCO International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (UNESCO-ICHEI).

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