African Higher Education Network Forms Interdisciplinary Action Group to Maximize Ethical Use of AI

13 june 2024 – Honoris United Universities recently concluded its two-day Annual Academic Summit for 2024 in Tunis, under the theme ‘Redefining Education in a world highly impacted by AI.’ The annual event once again brought together academic faculty and leadership from the 16 institutions in the Honoris network to accelerate progress for improved student outcomes.

The platform provided an opportunity to host critical discussions on the seismic transformation that Artificial Intelligence is having in education, from employability and curricula to pedagogy, ethics, and policy. Leaders discussed practical steps on how to maximize the opportunity of AI to continue widening access to quality education.

Institutions took the opportunity to showcase examples of success where AI is already increasingly impacting learners and educators in Honoris institutions. From AI support mentors for students, virtual institution tours, proprietary models for student assessment, training of health school students through adaptive learning systems, AI-generated course content, and applying AI for employability prediction, to using AI prompts for entrepreneurial ideation, attendees took stock of how the diversity of the Honoris network continues to reshape the higher education landscape in Africa.

Most critically, Honoris dedicated a half-day session to forming a collaborative roadmap for the advancement of AI across the network. The cross-disciplinary task force will combine representatives from every institution, tackling urgent needs such as faculty expertise, infrastructure, and ethics.

In his keynote speech, Honoris United Universities Group CEO, Dr. Jonathan Louw, reiterated, “As the largest academic community in Africa, we understand our responsibility to stay one step ahead of the rapid evolution of our sector. AI is the Industrial Revolution of knowledge work, transforming how workers in all sectors use information, find insights, and deliver results at speed and scale. We will jointly develop a response to the opportunities of AI that is human-centered, innovative, and impactful, building the foundations that are necessary to be future AI-ready. At the core, we will ensure that our use of AI only supports, and never hinders, our student centricity.”

With a focus on increasing shared knowledge and mobility, the annual academic forum is an integral part of the Honoris mission to foster cross-pollination between institutions and countries.