Scaling AI adoption in higher education
As universities transition from experimentation to institution-wide AI adoption, they must carefully guide how it influences teaching, learning and operations. While many institutions are successfully scaling AI to improve the academic experience and boost institutional efficiency, ethical and effective adoption demands strong governance frameworks and clear implementation roadmaps.
A THE webinar, held in partnership with Google for Education, brought together experts from the global higher education sector to share best practice for driving institutional change in the AI era.
“The moment is right to scale and amplify the best of what AI can offer us in our institutions,” said Chris Harte, government and education strategy lead for APAC and EMEA at Google for Education. He emphasised the need for identifying strategies that not only avoid pitfalls but also accelerate progress in learning and research that benefits humanity. Ensuring that students, faculty and researchers serve as “crew, not passengers” on this journey is crucial, Harte said.
While institutions across the globe are navigating risks and opportunities surrounding AI, fully realising its potential within the sector may require a complete overhaul of the fundamental aims and ambitions of a university.
“We are stuck in a 19th-century format of higher education,” said Pablo Gervás, professor in the Department of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence at Complutense University of Madrid in Spain. “Even when we are trying to be innovative and bring in these new tools and ideas, we still think of how we can use them for students to get better grades in exams.”
Recent advances in generative AI have taken many in higher education by surprise, raising questions about its impact on learning, security challenges and the responsible use of the technology.
Rafif Srour, executive vice-dean at the School of Science and Technology at IE University in Spain, said that AI has made the university rethink its programmes. “We are using AI at different levels,” said Srour. “The first is the curricular integration of AI, keeping in mind and being very careful about where students can use AI and where they cannot.”
The university has also carried out pedagogical integration and introduced awards to recognise the most innovative use of AI in teaching and course design. “We are still experimenting with what is the right approach,” Srour said.
The panellists also discussed common concerns regarding the misuse of AI. “We need to redefine carefully what it is that we consider misuse,” Gervás said. “Sometimes, what is tagged as misuse is precisely what we all need to do – work out a more efficient way of doing our usual tasks using AI. And this is what is happening in industry.”
Cultivating fundamental knowledge and skills in students is key to ensuring responsible AI use. They need to be encouraged to engage with AI, but with a level of knowledge that enables them to use these tools properly, the panellists said. AI should not be viewed as a replacement for learning, as a shortcut to avoid engaging with learning materials or to forgo the benefits of the cognitive challenges involved in academic pursuits.
The panel:
- Pablo Gervás, professor, Department of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, Complutense University of Madrid
- Chris Harte, government and education strategy lead, APAC and EMEA, Google for Education
- Miranda Prynne, editor of Campus, Times Higher Education (chair)
- Rafif Srour, executive vice-dean, School of Science and Technology, IE University
Find out more about Google for Education. Subscribe to Google for Education’s Edu on Air Higher Education EMEA programme. Contact the Google for Education team.
