Artificial Intelligence (AI) has traveled a long distance from mere science fiction to a lively participant restructuring systems and institutions all over the world, including education. AI is now at the center of education and teaching. From student-centered learning instruments to automating processes and easier access, AI enhances the efficiency and accessibility of modern-day education.
South Asian higher education is increasingly adopting AI in teaching and administrative processes. Technology promises to personalize learning, sort out logistical problems, and create adaptive learning systems. This blog analyses these trends, potential directions, and the value of regional coordination in making a leap forward in AI.
The last two decades have seen an overall increase in levels of university admissions in South Asia as a result of population expansion and increased secondary school enrollment. However, they are under-capitalized, and available budgets are insufficient, resulting in stretched capacities and scant infrastructure.
Development of regional networks in higher education has the potential to create open-minded societies and technology-based economies. The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the role of the university sector in public health and innovation beyond the classroom.
Although there are a few inter-regional partnerships, South Asian institutions prefer to collaborate with Western institutions, which, at times, do not yield region-centric results due to cultural incompatibility. Regional collaborations within South Asia can provide a stronger basis for sustainable forums for cooperative policy innovation, research, and learning. This is not a new concept, and several such regional collaborations exist. Examples of regional collaboration in Education include:
- South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi, India, was established under SAARC in 2010. It provides postgraduate and doctoral programs with scholars from member countries. Although the university provides cross-border engagement, its outreach and educational productivity are areas to be explored.
- Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh, established in 2006, brings together students from across Asia. It promotes liberal arts and science education for women, encouraging leadership and cross-cultural engagement. However, ensuring long- term growth and accessibility remains a challenge.
As compared to other areas such as East Asia or Europe, South Asia lags in terms of intellectual integration on the cross-border level. While institutions such as the South Asian University (SAU) provide hope, universities generally are isolated in their attempts.
However, efforts in the region through SAARC are fragmented and lack extensive outreach.
AI’s presence in higher education across South Asia is expanding through several critical applications:
- Personalized Learning: Products such as those developed by BYJU’S and Embibe help make learning personalized for each student. They enhance learner engagement and provide learning levels and facilitates adaptability.
- AI Tutors and Chatbots: Computer-based peers using AI now aid learners in real time. For instance, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) utilized Chatbots during the pandemic to assist distance learners with course tracking and academic questions.
- Marking by Machines: AI grading software is cutting down on bias and marking time. They read grammar, reasonableness, and readability of content, giving more uniform feedback.
- Predictive Analysis: Attendance records, performance, and engagement history are compiled to identify students most likely to fail. Most Universities in Bangladesh, for example, deploy such models to reduce dropouts in the field of science and technology.
- Advanced Research Tools: Advanced research tools like Semantic Scholar and Elicit are making it easier for scholars to navigate academic literature at a quicker pace. Unabashed use of such AI-assisted research tools is common in environmental and health research.
- Access Support: AI facilitates real-time translation, transcription, and text-to-speech facilities. Projects like AI4Bharat are working towards accessible education in local languages. Tools like goblin.tools simplify things for neurodivergent students and allow them to cope with studies more effectively.
While good, AI also has some drawbacks in education. Students will remain too reliant on machines, lacking initiative and good judgment. AI-powered apps can be misused, affecting academic integrity. Education has to be human-centered. AI may supplement but not substitute teachers. The effective, social, and ethical dimensions of education have to be initiated and guided by humans.
Preparedness and sensitivity are the door to crossing teachers’ resistance to AI. Developing AI literacy covering ethics, imagination, and flexibility can flip teachers from resistance to full use. Workshops, peer-to-peer mentorship, and incremental exposure can help achieve this.
Prof. Rajeev Sharma, a distinguished educationist from Madhya Pradesh, argues that institutions need institution-wide AI plans. Rather than isolated experiments, integrating planning across departments enables institutional goal alignment and innovation.
The long-term worth of AI in South Asian education will depend on inclusive strategies, ethical practice, and dedication to student-centered learning. Used responsibly, AI has the potential to enhance the human touch of learning, inducing a future that is connected, inclusive, and innovative.
