KP to Integrate AI into Higher Education

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence into its higher education sector.

The province’s Higher Education Department has designated the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Mardan’s AI Center as the provincial hub for AI initiatives. In an official communication to the university’s Vice Chancellor, UET Mardan was tasked with spearheading AI-related activities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As part of this initiative, specialized training workshops on artificial intelligence will be organized for both students and faculty members. The directive also encourages the development of AI tools within universities and instructs that fees for AI programs should remain as low as possible to ensure accessibility for students.

This move is part of a broader strategy led by Chief Minister KP and the Minister for Higher Education, Archives, and Libraries, Mr. Meena Khan, who recently chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the integration of AI into academic processes. The meeting, attended by UET Mardan Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Gul Muhammad Khan, Special Secretary Mr. Ghulam Saeed, and Dr. Shafiq Ur Rehman, Advisor/Director General, focused on developing both immediate and long-term plans to bring KP’s higher education institutions up to international standards.

To ensure a smooth transition, the Centre for AI at UET Mardan will create a comprehensive framework for AI adoption, which all higher education institutions in the province are expected to implement by the next semester. Additionally, summer training camps for faculty are being planned to prepare educators for the new AI-focused curriculum.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will soon be signed between the Higher Education Department and the Centre for AI at UET Mardan to formalize this action plan and guarantee its timely rollout.