Around the world, university AI ambition exceeds readiness

Universities are racing to position themselves as leaders in artificial intelligence. Strategic plans invoke AI as transformative. The rhetoric promises innovation. Institutional leaders speak enthusiastically about preparing graduates for an AI-driven future.

Yet a recent global readiness snapshot, by international development NGO IREX and its Development Gateway, reveals that most universities remain strikingly unprepared to move from AI ambition to meaningful institutional adoption.

The survey gathered responses from 76 higher education professionals representing 46 institutions across 25 countries between 5 and 30 January 2026, resulting in a Higher Education AI Readiness Report published last month.

More than four in five respondents were based in institutions in the Middle East (57%) and Africa (24%), offering a valuable perspective from regions that are often under-represented in global conversations about AI adoption in higher education.

Wake-up call

The findings should serve as a sobering wake-up call, not only for university leaders but also for governments, donors, accreditation bodies and international higher education networks.

The numbers from the insights report tell a compelling story. Only 34% of surveyed institutions reported having a clear AI strategy linked to academic and operational priorities.

Just 39% had approved AI-related policies, while the same percentage reported active senior leadership engagement. Even more concerning, only 19% reported that AI pilots were integrated into institutional workflows and just 22% systematically measured AI impact.

In other words, while universities are experimenting with AI, very few are institutionalising AI responsibly. This gap between enthusiasm and readiness is not simply technological. It is organisational, cultural and strategic.

The survey – which assessed institutional readiness across multiple dimensions, including strategy, governance, workforce development, infrastructure, investment and impact measurement – shows that too many universities still treat AI as an isolated innovation project rather than a systemic transformation challenge.

Pilot programmes are launched without governance frameworks. Faculty are encouraged to ‘explore AI’ without sufficient professional learning. Students are exposed to generative tools without meaningful discussions about ethics, bias, transparency or academic integrity. The result is predictable: fragmented adoption, inconsistent practice and growing institutional anxiety.

Perhaps the most revealing findings concern workforce readiness. Only 37% of institutions reported ongoing professional development opportunities related to AI, while just 32% said they had mapped AI training according to staff priorities.

These numbers expose a central contradiction in global higher education policy conversations. Universities frequently frame AI readiness as a technology problem when it is fundamentally a people problem.

No institution becomes AI-ready because it purchases a closed AI system or launches a chatbot. Universities become AI-ready when faculty, administrators and students develop the confidence, literacy and governance structures necessary to use these tools critically and responsibly.

Important focus on Middle East, Africa

The regional composition of the survey is particularly significant.

Much of the global discussion around AI in higher education is shaped by experiences in North America, Europe and East Asia. By contrast, this survey also provides insight into how institutions across the Middle East and Africa are navigating AI transformation amid resource constraints, infrastructure challenges and rapidly evolving workforce demands.

The findings therefore add an important perspective that is often missing from international higher education and AI research.

This challenge is especially acute in many parts of the Global South, where institutions often face overlapping pressures: limited infrastructure, constrained budgets, uneven digital access and heavy teaching loads.

The report notes that only 27% of institutions have dedicated budgets for AI initiatives. Without sustained investment, AI adoption risks deepening global inequities rather than narrowing them.

Yet the solution is not to slow down AI adoption. Universities cannot afford paralysis. Students are already using generative AI extensively, whether institutions acknowledge it or not. Employers increasingly expect graduates to understand AI-assisted workflows. Research ecosystems are rapidly shifting toward AI-enhanced methodologies.

What higher education should do

The real question is whether universities will shape this transformation intentionally or simply react to it. What is needed now is a shift from performative AI discourse to institutional readiness planning.

First, universities must move beyond fragmented experimentation toward institution-wide governance frameworks that align AI with educational mission and public purpose. AI strategies cannot remain the responsibility of isolated innovation offices or IT departments. They require cross-functional leadership involving academic affairs, ethics committees, student services and faculty development.

Second, professional learning must become a central priority. Faculty cannot be expected to redesign pedagogy, assessment and research practices without structured support. AI literacy is no longer optional leadership development; it is core institutional infrastructure.

Third, policymakers and international donors should recognise that AI readiness is inseparable from broader digital capacity building. Investments in connectivity, cybersecurity, data governance and institutional leadership matter just as much as access to AI tools themselves.

Finally, universities must resist the temptation to measure success purely through adoption metrics. The real challenge is not whether AI enters higher education but whether it strengthens equity, critical thinking and human development.

The report’s findings highlight both promise and vulnerability. Universities clearly recognise AI’s transformative potential. But recognition alone does not produce readiness.

While the survey represents a snapshot rather than a comprehensive census of global higher education, its reach across 25 countries provides a benchmark for understanding institutional AI readiness.

The institutions that thrive will not necessarily be those with the most advanced technologies but those with the strongest cultures of learning, governance and adaptability.

Expert insights, good practices

Points on culture, leadership and the ‘art of the possible’ were highlighted by panellists during a webinar on 10 June hosted by IREX and Development Gateway to discuss the report’s findings.

During “The Higher Education AI Reality Check: From global insights to institutional action”, panellists from universities in Kenya, Ghana, Jordan and the United States reflected on the opportunities and challenges associated with institutional AI adoption.

A recurring theme was the risk of widening inequalities, as institutions and countries with more advanced digital infrastructure are increasingly able to embed AI across teaching, learning, research and administrative functions, while less-resourced institutions struggle to keep pace.

Participants emphasised that successful AI deployment is not primarily a technology challenge but a cultural one.

Florida State University shared its use of communities of practice to support AI adoption across the institution. This approach has helped foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and shared learning, ensuring that AI adoption is not confined to a small group of specialists but becomes a collective institutional effort.

Leadership readiness also emerged as a significant concern. During a live poll conducted during the webinar, 80% of respondents indicated that university leadership does not yet fully understand the transformative potential of AI.

Panellists argued that higher education institutions must build around possibilities and imagination rather than focusing solely on constraints and risks. Developing a vision for how AI can enhance learning, research and institutional effectiveness was seen as a critical leadership responsibility.

The webinar also explored concerns around AI bias and building trust among faculty and students. Discussion centred on the importance of maintaining human oversight, particularly in areas such as student assessment, academic decision-making and student support services.

Panellists stressed that AI should augment rather than replace professional judgement. Participants also highlighted the need for clear ethical guidelines, governance frameworks and transparent institutional policies to ensure responsible AI use.

Finally, attention was drawn to the importance of training data and local context. AI systems are shaped by the data on which they are trained, and models developed primarily using data from other regions may not adequately reflect local cultures, languages, educational systems or societal realities.

Panellists emphasised that building trust requires institutions to critically evaluate AI outputs, understand the limitations of training data and advocate for more inclusive datasets that better represent local contexts and diverse perspectives.

The webinar reinforced a central message of the report: achieving AI readiness is not simply about access to technology. It requires intentional leadership, strong governance, investment in people and the development of institutional cultures that embrace innovation while remaining grounded in equity, ethics and human-centred values.

Therefore, the central challenge is not whether to adopt AI but how to build the institutional foundations for responsible, scalable and sustained adoption. This requires practical pathways that connect strategy, governance, capability building and operational execution into a coherent adoption model.

Cameron Mirza is a director at IREX, a global solutions NGO that partners with communities and institutions around the world to cultivate leaders, expand access to education and create economic opportunity. Contact: Cmirza@irex.org

Development Gateway is an international non-profit and IREX Venture that partners with governments, civil society and communities globally to build digital tools and data systems.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.