Can Pakistan’s Universities Keep Up with the AI Revolution? Three Academic Leaders Say the Clock Is Ticking

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant technological promise. It is rapidly reshaping how people learn, work, and solve problems, leaving universities around the world with a pressing question: Can higher education adapt quickly enough, or will it fall behind?

That question took center stage during Aik Sawal, a current affairs program on Aik News, where three of South Punjab's leading university heads gathered for a rare and candid discussion about the future of Pakistan's education system. The panel, moderated by veteran journalist Jamshid Rizwani, featured Professor Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Rector of the University of Southern Punjab (USP) Multan; Professor Dr. Muhammad Zubair Iqbal, Vice Chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan; and Professor Dr. Hassan Khaliq Qureshi, Vice Chancellor of Emerson University Multan.

Although each leader approached the issue from a different perspective, they reached a strikingly similar conclusion: Pakistan's education system must undergo rapid, fundamental transformation if it hopes to thrive in the age of artificial intelligence.

Prof. Dr. Zubair Iqbal described Pakistan's educational landscape as a story of contrasts. While acknowledging serious shortcomings in several areas, he pointed to one encouraging sign: the remarkable success of Pakistani students in securing prestigious international opportunities such as the Erasmus and Fulbright scholarships. Their achievements, he argued, demonstrate that the country's young talent can compete with the best in the world when given the right opportunities.

Prof. Dr. Hassan Khaliq Qureshi highlighted another challenge: the pace of change. He noted that universities often adapt too slowly to emerging technologies and evolving labor markets. Welcoming the Ministry of Planning and Development's initiative to modernize curricula, he argued that universities must move beyond traditional academic structures and adopt programs that reflect the realities of today's economy.

For Professor Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, the discussion went beyond technology itself. Artificial intelligence, he said, is becoming the driving force behind the future of education, continuously improving as it learns from new data. That rapid evolution means universities can no longer update their academic programs every few years. Instead, he proposed that the Higher Education Commission regularly evaluate AI developments and provide quarterly, discipline-specific guidance to universities so academic programs remain relevant in an era of constant technological change.

The conversation also turned to one of Pakistan's most persistent challenges: the digital divide.

While Dr. Qureshi noted that many people in remote regions are increasingly connected to the world via the internet and modern digital devices, Professor Mukhtar argued that true educational equity requires more than basic connectivity. He emphasized the urgent need for uninterrupted, high-speed internet across rural and underserved communities so that students, regardless of geography, can fully participate in digital learning and emerging AI-powered educational opportunities.

Despite differences in emphasis, the panel found broad consensus on one issue: universities must prepare graduates for jobs that are evolving faster than ever before.

Traditional degree programs alone, they said, will no longer be sufficient. Instead, institutions must introduce market-oriented curricula, expand opportunities for reskilling throughout adulthood, and equip students to work alongside intelligent machines rather than compete with them.

Prof. Dr. Zubair Iqbal argued that future workers will need capabilities that artificial intelligence cannot easily replicate. He highlighted four essential human competencies—Communication, Conflict Management, Critical Thinking, and Coordination as skills that will remain indispensable even as AI becomes increasingly capable. At the same time, he emphasized that students must also learn to communicate effectively with AI systems through prompt engineering and other emerging digital competencies.

Professor Mukhtar reinforced the need to align educational programs directly with labor market demands, ensuring graduates possess skills employers seek rather than qualifications disconnected from industry needs. Supporting this vision, Prof. Dr. Hassan Khaliq Qureshi advocated expanding the role of Professors of Practice, experienced industry professionals whose involvement can strengthen university-industry partnerships and improve graduates' workplace readiness.

Looking beyond today's classrooms, the three academic leaders painted a picture of tomorrow's university. They suggested that the institutions of the future may be defined less by imposing buildings and sprawling campuses than by technological capability, AI-enabled learning environments, digitally empowered faculty, innovative administrators, and visionary academic leadership.

Their message was clear: physical infrastructure alone will no longer define educational excellence.

The discussion concluded with a call for sweeping reforms that extend beyond universities. The speakers urged an emergency-style national effort to modernize education through curriculum redesign and ongoing training for academic leaders, faculty members, and administrative staff, while also fostering cultural change among students and parents through effective counseling and awareness programs.

As artificial intelligence accelerates worldwide, the panelists agreed that Pakistan has the talent to succeed. The real challenge is not whether the country can embrace AI, but how quickly its education system can reinvent itself to prepare a generation for careers that are just beginning to emerge.