Samira Nizami
Karachi: The Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology (KIET) on Tuesday hosted a high-level Dean’s Roundtable titled “AI in Higher Education: Classroom Innovation vs. Academic Integrity” at its North Nazimabad campus, bringing together senior academic leaders from leading public and private universities across the city.
The session was chaired by KIET Acting President Prof. Dr. Muhammad Khalid Khan, who said artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming higher education and requires balanced, responsible, and policy-driven adoption.
In his opening remarks, he stressed that universities must leverage AI to enhance innovation while safeguarding academic integrity, intellectual rigor, and quality standards.
Part of Indus AI Week
The roundtable was organised as a partner university initiative aligned with Indus AI Week 2026, complementing the Government of Sindh’s efforts and contributing to the broader national agenda on artificial intelligence.
Through the forum, KIET aimed to provide an academic governance and policy perspective to Pakistan’s emerging AI ecosystem, particularly from the higher education sector.
Universities represented
The closed-door dialogue was attended by deans and senior officials from several institutions, including Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Dawood University of Engineering & Technology, Ziauddin University, Iqra University, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, UIT University, Millennium Institute of Technology & Entrepreneurship, Sohail University, Al-Kawthar University, and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University.
Focus on AI use and integrity
Participants discussed the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence, especially Generative AI and Large Language Models, on teaching, learning, and assessment methods.
Deliberations centered on how institutions can responsibly integrate AI tools while maintaining originality, fairness, and academic standards.
Key themes included developing clear institutional frameworks for AI use, redesigning assessment systems to focus on higher-order thinking skills, improving faculty preparedness, and ensuring ethical and equitable implementation.
Speakers agreed that AI governance should be guided by strategic leadership and collaboration rather than restrictive or enforcement-heavy measures.
Institutional commitment
KIET thanked the participating academic leaders and said hosting such a forum reflects its commitment to future-ready education, quality assurance, and national-level thought leadership in higher education policy.
Tags: KIET Karachi, artificial intelligence in education, AI in higher education Pakistan, Indus AI Week 2026, academic integrity, generative AI, university governance, Karachi universities, education policy Pakistan
