RONO HILLS, SEP 28:
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) East Zone Conference on “Strategic Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education: Opportunities, Challenges and Implications” was organised by AIU, New Delhi, in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Arunachal Pradesh, at the RGU Mini Auditorium on September 25.
Joint Director (Research), AIU, Dr Amarendra Pani, who was patron of the conference, highlighted the role of AIU in facilitating academic programmes that help universities develop skills to address emerging challenges in education. Tracing the evolution of technology from the Industrial Revolution to the present AI era, he urged younger generations to embrace AI while retaining fundamental natural and cultural values.
Chief Guest and NIT Director Prof Mohan Vithalrao Aware emphasised responsible deployment of AI across developmental sectors. He said students and researchers should use AI to support idea development and improve performance rather than treat it as a substitute for human effort. He also highlighted the potential of generative AI to accelerate research and development.
RGU Vice Chancellor Prof Shivaraj stressed the potential of AI for local community development and sustainable utilisation of local resources. He envisioned RGU emerging as a centre for AI integration in Arunachal Pradesh, while cautioning that technological advancement should not replace human ethical and moral values. He also highlighted the emerging digital divide and stressed the need to use AI to democratise the learning ecosystem.
Welcoming the delegates, conference convenor Prof Sambhu Prasad, Dean, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, outlined the objectives of the conference and stressed the need for meaningful outcomes from the academic deliberations.
The technical sessions began with a plenary address by JIS University Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Neeraj Saxena, who called for a shift from traditional teaching towards critical thinking, inquiry and critical evaluation of AI-generated responses. He said teachers in the age of AI should increasingly act as mentors and facilitate new thinking.
NERIST Prof Madhusudhan Mishra outlined five levels of institutional AI adoption—experimentation, adoption, integration, governance and transformation. He highlighted AI’s potential to personalise learning and accelerate research, while stressing that it should augment rather than replace faculty and that privacy, fairness and accountability must remain central.
A panel discussion moderated by RGU Assistant Professor Dr Sunil Koijam examined the implications of AI integration in teaching, research and administration. Panellists included RGU IQAC Director Prof Utpal Bhattacharjee, Prof Madhusudhan Mishra, Apex Professional University Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Mousumi Chaudhari, RGU Assistant Professor Dr Nishanth PM and Apex Bank Managing Director and Arunachal Training Institute Deputy Director Bittu Kri. The discussion stressed the need for an AI framework in education and incorporation of ethical AI use into higher education curricula and pedagogical practices.
The valedictory session was attended by AISECT University Vice Chancellor Dr Gaurav Shukla and Dr Samit Tiwari, Vice Chancellor of Dr C. V. Raman University, Bihar. The session reiterated the need for purposeful, responsible and human-centred adoption of AI in higher education.
Prof Sambhu Prasad delivered the closing remarks and proposed the vote of thanks. Faculty members, students and researchers attended the conference. Dr Rupam Kumar Sharma, Dr Bomken Kamdak of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Sangey Tsering of the Department of Physical Education coordinated the conference.
