As Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforms the global education landscape, academic leaders, industry experts, and institutional stakeholders convened in Kolkata for a high-impact leadership dialogue on the future of higher education in an AI-driven world. Hosted by ETEducation in collaboration with Pearson on 14 May 2026 at Hyatt Regency Kolkata, the closed-door roundtable explored how institutions can responsibly integrate AI while safeguarding academic integrity, inclusivity, and long-term relevance.
Titled “Future Proofing Higher Education in the Age of AI,” the curated, by-invitation-only roundtable brought together leaders from academia and industry to examine how AI is reshaping curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, employability, governance, and institutional readiness. The session was moderated by the editorial leadership of ETEducation, The Economic Times.
Among the prominent leaders who participated in the discussion were Dr Anupam Basu, Vice Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University; Prof Dr Saikat Maitra, Vice Chancellor, Techno India University; Dr Suman Bhattacharya, Director, Kareer School & Head NextGen Learning – KIIT University; Dr Mohua Banerjee, Director, International Management Institute Kolkata; and Dr Tania Chakravertty, Principal, Shri Shikshayatan College, alongside several other vice chancellors, directors, co-founders, academic leaders, and institutional stakeholders from across the higher education ecosystem who contributed diverse perspectives on the evolving role of AI in education.The discussion made one thing abundantly clear: AI is no longer a future conversation for higher education; it is already reshaping how institutions operate, how students learn, and how graduates prepare for an increasingly technology-driven economy.
AI adoption must be thoughtful, ethical, and contextual
One of the strongest themes emerging from the discussion was the need for institutions to adopt AI strategically rather than treating it as a universal solution for every educational challenge.
Academic leaders and participants highlighted growing concerns around algorithmic bias, hallucinations in generative AI systems, overdependence on western datasets, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and ethical implications surrounding the use of AI in academic environments. Speakers stressed the importance of building India-relevant datasets, institutional AI policies, and robust governance frameworks to ensure responsible and equitable adoption.
The discussion also underlined the growing need for digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness among both students and faculty as AI tools become more deeply embedded into learning ecosystems.
AI should support teaching, not replace educators
A major consensus across the roundtable was that AI should serve as an enabler of education rather than a replacement for educators.
Participants emphasised that while AI can significantly improve personalisation, automation, and accessibility, the role of faculty in mentoring, contextualising knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and enabling human connection remains irreplaceable.
The conversation explored how pedagogy and assessment models must evolve in response to AI-enabled learning. Leaders advocated for more open-ended assignments, experiential learning, problem-solving approaches, and evaluation systems that prioritise originality, application, and critical reasoning over rote outputs and blind dependence on technology.
Rather than resisting AI, institutions were encouraged to rethink how teaching and learning frameworks can integrate technology responsibly while preserving the human dimensions of education.
Future-ready skills will define graduate success
The roundtable strongly reinforced that higher education institutions must move beyond traditional content delivery and focus on building transferable, future-ready capabilities.
Participants highlighted critical thinking, communication, collaboration, storytelling, ethical judgement, adaptability, and creativity as essential competencies in an AI-shaped economy. The discussion underscored that employability in the future will increasingly depend on human capabilities that complement technology rather than compete with it.
Leaders also stressed that institutions must prepare students not only for their first job, but for lifelong learning, continuous reinvention, and rapidly evolving workplace realities.
As AI continues to automate repetitive tasks, universities were urged to place greater emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, innovation, problem-solving, and experiential education models that help learners remain relevant in uncertain futures.
Industry collaboration and institutional readiness will be critical
Another major area of focus was the growing need for deeper collaboration between academia and industry to ensure higher education remains aligned with emerging workforce demands.
Participants called for institutions to move beyond fragmented AI pilots toward institution-wide transformation strategies supported by faculty training, infrastructure investments, localised curriculum development, internships, and real-world innovation labs.
The conversation also addressed the challenges faced by institutions in scaling AI adoption, particularly around funding constraints, infrastructure readiness, and capability gaps.
Leaders emphasised the importance of collaborative ecosystems where academia, industry, technology providers, and policymakers work together to create sustainable and scalable models for AI integration in education.
Building resilient institutions for an AI-driven future
Throughout the discussion, one message remained central: the future of higher education will depend not only on how quickly institutions adopt AI, but on how responsibly, inclusively, and strategically they do so.
As higher education enters a period of rapid technological transformation, institutions will increasingly be evaluated by their ability to balance innovation with ethics, scalability with inclusion, and automation with human-centric learning.
The ETEducation x Pearson Roundtable Kolkata served as an important platform for academic leaders and industry stakeholders to collectively examine these challenges and opportunities, while reinforcing the need for continuous dialogue, institutional agility, and collaborative action in shaping the future of education in the age of AI.
