The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, in collaboration with Huawei, has organised an executive training programme on Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) and governance for university leaders and faculty members from across Pakistan. Titled “The Intelligence Shift: Executive Programme on Agentic AI and Governance,” the session was held at HEC Islamabad and attended by HEC Chairman Professor Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, who also addressed participants. The programme brought together vice chancellors and academic representatives to examine the growing role of artificial intelligence in higher education and its potential applications across teaching, learning, research and institutional management. The initiative provided an opportunity for academic leaders to discuss how emerging AI technologies could be incorporated into university operations while maintaining appropriate oversight, accountability and responsible-use practices.
A central focus of the programme was Agentic AI, an area of artificial intelligence involving systems that can use tools, coordinate tasks and carry out multi-step workflows with varying levels of autonomy. Unlike conventional AI assistants that primarily respond to individual prompts, agentic systems can be designed to plan actions, work through sequences of tasks and interact with digital tools to pursue defined objectives. In higher education, these capabilities could support activities such as research assistance, administrative workflows, information management and selected teaching-related tasks. University leaders and faculty members explored the potential uses of these technologies and the considerations involved in adopting them within academic institutions. The discussions also highlighted the need to assess the suitability of AI applications for different educational settings rather than treating automation as a replacement for academic judgement or human supervision.
The programme placed particular emphasis on responsible AI adoption and governance frameworks as universities consider introducing more advanced systems into their academic and administrative processes. AI governance involves establishing rules and procedures for the use of these technologies, including accountability, data protection, human oversight and the evaluation of potential risks. These considerations are relevant when AI tools interact with student records, research materials, institutional information or decisions affecting academic processes. Universities also need to consider the accuracy of AI-generated outputs, the handling of confidential information and the role of faculty members in reviewing AI-assisted work. By bringing academic leadership and teaching staff together, the HEC-Huawei session created a forum for discussing these questions and exchanging perspectives on the opportunities and limitations associated with agentic systems. The programme also reflected the importance of preparing university personnel to understand how AI tools operate before integrating them into institutional workflows.
The collaboration forms part of wider efforts to introduce AI-related knowledge and capabilities across Pakistan’s higher education sector. HEC has previously taken steps to expand AI education through curriculum initiatives, including its June 2026 direction for public universities to introduce a three-credit-hour Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course across relevant degree programmes. The executive programme with Huawei addresses a different but related area by focusing on institutional leadership, practical applications and governance considerations. Together, such initiatives point to growing attention towards both AI education for students and the preparation of university personnel responsible for academic and administrative operations. The latest session also gives university representatives an opportunity to consider how emerging technologies could support research and institutional processes while preserving academic standards and human responsibility. HEC and Huawei have not announced a specific nationwide implementation schedule or a formal requirement for universities to deploy agentic AI systems following the training. The programme instead provided a platform for discussion, learning and consideration of potential applications across Pakistan’s higher education ecosystem.
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