Karachi: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has formally directed all public and private universities across the country to incorporate a mandatory three-credit-hour course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in order to align academic frameworks with evolving global standards.
The decision has been taken in view of the rapidly changing global educational and technological landscape, where artificial intelligence is playing a pivotal and transformative role in diverse sectors, including education, healthcare, the economy, and governance, and its relevance continues to grow significantly.
In a letter addressed to the heads of universities, the HEC Executive Director stated that AI education is no longer an optional enhancement but has become an essential requirement of the time, emphasizing that students must be provided with a practical and comprehensive understanding of digital literacy, ethical responsibility, data privacy, transparency, and social impact to equip them with skills that meet international benchmarks.
The letter further clarified that universities may offer the course as an elective subject, an interdisciplinary course, or as a supporting subject within existing programs; however, it will be mandatory to include fundamental concepts of AI, its application across various disciplines, ethical considerations, fairness, and accountability, while allowing institutions the flexibility to tailor the content according to the nature of their programs.
The HEC also stated that the course will be implemented in all degree programs from the Fall 2026 academic session, to enable Pakistani students to effectively contribute in an AI-driven world and enhance the competitiveness of the national economy at the global level.
