Reimagining Higher Education Through Artificial Intelligence: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is progressively redefining the landscape of higher education, exerting profound influence on the modalities of knowledge dissemination, assessment practices, and institutional governance. This conceptual research paper undertakes a critical examination of AI’s transformative role within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), foregrounding its capacity to reconfigure pedagogical approaches, research methodologies, and administrative operations. A conceptual framework is proposed to systematically explore the integration of AI across institutional functions, with particular attention to the ethical, pedagogical, and organizational dimensions that accompany this technological shift. Anchored in contemporary academic literature, the paper elucidates both the enabling possibilities and the complex challenges posed by AI adoption, offering nuanced insights to inform future scholarly inquiry and policy formulation. In doing so, it contributes to an emerging discourse on aligning AI innovation with the core values and missions of higher education.