AI & Digital Maturity Index: Global Universities Benchmarking

Change of Attitude Necessary to Increase AI Skills and Knowledge A change in attitude towards AI is essential to enhance AI skills and knowledge, as perceptions often shape how individuals and institutions engage with technology. Many still view AI with scepticism, fear, or a sense of detachment—seeing it as either a threat to jobs or a distant, highly technical field reserved for experts. This mindset limits curiosity, learning, and innovation. Shifting towards a more open, informed, and proactive attitude allows people to see AI as a collaborative tool that augments human capability, creativity, and decision-making. By embracing AI with curiosity and responsibility, educators, students, and professionals can build the skills and confidence needed to apply AI meaningfully and ethically across all sectors of society. From classrooms to workplaces, AI is reshaping how we learn, work, and connect. This issue of the CRI newsletter, explores why AI literacy is essential for everyone — not just tech experts. Stay informed, empowered, and ready to navigate the opportunities and challenges of our AI-driven world. Please read our monthly newsletter on AI literacy brought to you by the Center for Research Initiatives (CRI), Dhaka, Bangladesh, Author: Mr. Neaz Mujeri, Executive Director & CEO, Center for Research Initiatives (CRI). Mr. Neaz Mujeri is a researcher and writer with a strong focus on commerce, education, and emerging technologies. In just four years, he has authored three books and five peer-reviewed journal articles, establishing himself as a prolific contributor to global academic discourse. He is currently pursuing a Master of Commerce at UNSW and working as a Research Assistant at Zayed University, where he is engaged in research on the transformative impact of generative AI in higher education. His work bridges theory and practice, reflecting a commitment to advancing knowledge and driving meaningful change in education and the global knowledge economy. Link: https://lnkd.in/e9JCkbhZ #BigIdeas2025 #ArtificialIntelligence #AILiteracy #BarriersToAIAdoption #AI #AIinBusinesss #ChangeOfAttitudeTowardsAI

🚀 UAE Equips Next Generation with AI! 🇦🇪 In a groundbreaking move for the region 🇦🇪🇸🇦🇶🇦🇰🇼🇧🇭🇴🇲, the UAE Government is empowering its university students with the future of AI. In a strategic collaboration with Google, students will receive a free one-year subscription to Gemini Pro. This initiative is a core part of the UAE's National AI Strategy, aiming to build a world-class talent ecosystem. This provides students with powerful tools for research, learning, and innovation, including advanced models for complex tasks and video creation from text. It’s a direct investment in the nation’s future innovators. This partnership highlights a proactive approach to integrating AI into education, ensuring the next generation is fluent in the language of tomorrow. How will this shape the future of the workforce in the GCC? #UAE #AI #Google #Gemini #Education #FutureOfWork #GCC #DigitalTransformation

✨ Reflections on Africa’s First IT Indaba Attending Africa’s first IT Indaba was an incredibly enriching experience — a convergence of thought leaders, innovators, and educators driving the future of technology on the continent. From insightful keynote sessions to dynamic panel discussions, the exchange of ideas was immense and inspiring. I had the privilege of connecting with industry experts whose perspectives will add great value to how we prepare and empower our students in the classroom. 💡 A key takeaway: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved far beyond imagination. As educators, we must begin shaping policies and learning frameworks that enable our students to learn, innovate, and be assessed ethically and effectively using AI. AI is not just the future of IT — it is the present, and it’s redefining how we teach, learn, and lead in the digital era. #ITIndaba2025 #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalTransformation #EducationInnovation #HigherEducation #AIinEducation #TechLeadership #STADIO #SchoolOfIT

🚀 UAE and Google partner to unlock AI innovation for students. The UAE Government has formed a strategic partnership with Google to provide university students with free access to the Pro plan of Google Gemini, the company’s advanced generative AI platform. 🎓 Through this initiative, students will gain access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, Deep Research, NotebookLM, Veo 3, and 2 TB of storage. This will enable them to explore new possibilities, build meaningful solutions, and accelerate their learning journey with world-class AI tools. This move reflects the UAE’s commitment to empowering its youth, fostering a future-ready workforce, and driving innovation from the classroom to the global stage. #UAE #Google #GeminiAI #AI #Innovation #Education #Technology #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #NextGenTalent

As Generative AI reshapes how we teach, learn, and assess, one question stands out: How do we ensure integrity keeps pace with innovation? Our ongoing research across ASEAN highlights both the promise and the risks of AI in Education, from content accuracy and assessment validity to ethical governance. These issues demand collaboration, not just curiosity. That’s what the ASEAN Stakeholder Summit on Generative AI for Education 2025 is all about, bringing together educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to turn research into regional action. 📅 18–20 November 2025 📍 Asia Pacific University (APU) & Open University Malaysia (OUM) 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gdG8X4ch

🤖 Building human capital for AI era: 🇺🇿Uzbekistan’s “One Million AI Leaders” program The “One Million AI Leaders” national program aims to train 1 million young specialists by 2027 through platforms aistudy.uz and omp.aistudy.uz, which already offer five free online AI courses. The initiative focuses on developing AI skills from school level, updating informatics curricula, and upskilling teachers to prepare the next generation of innovators. By investing in education and practical training, Uzbekistan is shaping a knowledge-driven economy, ready to compete on the global digital stage. #AI #Education #HumanCapital #DigitalSkills #Uzbekistan #TechTalent #AILeaders #FutureofWork #STEMEducation #InnovationEcosystem

Day 2 of ASEFEdu #ClassNet18 opened with a deeply reflective keynote by Professor Seng Chee Tan from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, who explored the idea of knowledge building with AI. His framework of learning from, with, about, and beyond AI offered a powerful reminder that artificial intelligence should not replace human thought but instead act as a scaffold for deeper cognitive engagement. I found his emphasis on epistemic agency particularly powerful, the idea that students must remain the authors of their own understanding while using AI as a thinking partner rather than an answer machine. As someone leading e-learning innovation in a New Zealand secondary context, I appreciated the grounding in learning sciences and collaborative knowledge construction that underpinned his message. However, I was also left reflecting on some challenges. Issues of equity and digital access remain significant in Aotearoa New Zealand as not all students have the same opportunities to engage meaningfully with AI tools, and we risk widening existing gaps if AI literacy is assumed rather than taught. There are also epistemic risks to navigate, from hallucinated content to the subtle biases embedded in AI models. What I take forward from Tan’s keynote is a renewed commitment to testing small, deliberate steps in AI-supported knowledge building through designing a approach that focuses on idea improvement, embedding reflective questioning after AI interactions, and growing a community of practice among teachers who want to use AI with purpose. Ultimately, Tan reminded us that success in education will not be measured by how much AI we use, but by how deeply it helps students think, create, and connect as humans.

How will Generative AI reshape the future of university education? A pivotal new anthology from UNESCO, "AI and the future of education: Disruptions, dilemmas and directions," brings together global thinkers to explore the profound philosophical, pedagogical, and ethical questions we now face. The report moves beyond simplistic binaries, presenting a landscape of contested imaginaries for higher education. For busy academic staff, it offers a crucial touchstone for navigating this disruptive shift. 💡 We’ve distilled three key takeaways from this comprehensive collection: • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁: Several contributors argue that GenAI renders many traditional assessment methods, particularly take-home assignments, obsolete. Rather than a crisis, they frame this as a unique opportunity to move beyond surface learning and redesign assessment to focus on deep, human-centred skills like ethical reasoning, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving. • 𝗔 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 ‘𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻’: The report strongly advocates for embedding relational and ethical principles directly into AI systems. This involves moving beyond technical fixes to prioritise educator agency, learner belonging, and well-being. One proposed framework includes participatory co-design with educators and trust audits to ensure Al serves pedagogical values, not just efficiency metrics. • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 ‘𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀’: A significant concern is that AI, trained predominantly on data from the Global North, risks deepening educational divides. The volume calls for locally-led, culturally pluralistic approaches to AI development, ensuring that systems recognise diverse languages, communicative modes, and indigenous knowledge systems to avoid becoming another site of exclusion. This anthology provides a rich, critical, and forward-looking resource for anyone invested in the future of teaching and learning. 🤔 What do you believe is the single most urgent change we need to make in our teaching or assessment practices in response to GenAI? Share your thoughts below. Explore the full UNESCO report here: https://lnkd.in/gK3d3SiQ #GenAIntu #Assessmentntu #TandLntu #GenAI #Assessment #resourcentu #InsPIREsharentu

The UAE's latest play to fast track elite tech talent is a made-to-order AI university. Check out Amar Diwakar's story in Rest of World about what the “Stanford of the Middle East” is offering to scientists and students: plentiful funding, colossal compute, and the doubling down of the country behind them. https://lnkd.in/eyJzY3QM

Exploring AI for Smarter Decisions in Education As higher education evolves, the need for data-driven decision-making has become more critical than ever. Across institutions, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key enabler for smarter, faster, and more efficient operations. From academic planning and resource allocation to student engagement and process optimization, AI supports leaders in making informed and timely choices that enhance both performance and experience. Integrating AI into institutional processes enables a shift from reactive administration to predictive, insight-driven actions — helping teams focus on quality, innovation, and continuous improvement. The future of operational excellence lies in blending human judgment with data intelligence, creating systems that are efficient, transparent, and human-centered. Exploring how AI can redefine educational operations is not just a technological pursuit — it’s a step toward building smarter, more adaptive, and more responsive learning ecosystems. 🌱 ✨ At Sona, innovation isn’t just an initiative — it’s a culture that drives excellence every day. #AI #HigherEducation #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #InstitutionalExcellence #WomenInLeadership #Research #LearningJourney #SonaInstitutions #SonaStarInnovation #Sona Medical College of Naturopathy & Yoga