CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The AIU West Zonal Conference was organised jointly by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Rabindranath Tagore University (RNTU), Bhopal. The theme of the conference was “Strategic Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Opportunities, Challenges and Impact.” Vice-chancellors, academicians, industry experts and startup representatives from various universities across the country deliberated on the use of artificial intelligence in higher education, ethics, research, evaluation, institutional operations and social impact.
The conference included an inaugural session, three technical sessions, a panel discussion on startups and a talk on cyber security. Those present included RNTU Chancellor Dr. Santosh Choubey, Co-Chancellor Dr. Aditi Chaturvedi Vats, SGSU Chancellor Dr. Siddharth Chaturvedi, AIU Joint Director, Research Division, Dr. Amarendra Pani, keynote speaker and entrepreneur, futurist, author and founder of the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre, Srijan Pal Singh, Madhya Pradesh Startup Mission Executive Head Dr. Abha Rishi, cyber expert Amit Dubey, RNTU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) R. P. Dubey, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, Registrar Dr. Sangeeta Johri and conference convener Dr. Rakesh Kumar, professor and head, Centre for Internet of Things and Advanced Computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, along with vice-chancellors and experts from various universities.
In the inaugural session, the focus was on artificial intelligence policy, human judgment and ethics. In his presidential address, RNTU Chancellor Dr. Santosh Choubey discussed the university’s artificial intelligence policy and mission. He emphasised developing universities as centres of research, innovation and production. Referring to his book ‘Artificial Intelligence’, he said AI should be used to assist decision-making, not be allowed to dominate decisions. Raising ethical questions related to the impact of artificial intelligence on language, thought, democratic discourse and human values, he underlined the importance of philosophy, history and human values in education.
RNTU Co-Chancellor Dr. Aditi Chaturvedi Vats delivered the welcome address. Highlighting the approach and work of AISECT and RNTU in the era of digital transformation, she stressed the need to adopt technological innovation in education. AIU Joint Director, Research Division, Dr. Amarendra Pani said artificial intelligence was no longer a future possibility but had become a present reality. He cited examples of technological applications such as identification through CCTV cameras at large events like the Kumbh. Discussing blockchain technology, the Fifth Industrial Revolution and human-machine collaboration, he called for a strong framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
Madhya Pradesh Startup Mission Executive Head Dr. Abha Rishi said India must not only use artificial intelligence but also develop its own original solutions. Warning against excessive dependence on technology, she highlighted the importance of original ideas, market needs and innovation. She also referred to government support for startups and assistance in prototype development, including support of up to Rs 5 lakh.
Confederation of Indian Industry Madhya Pradesh State Council Chairman and SGSU Chancellor Dr. Siddharth Chaturvedi said universities should teach students to use artificial intelligence tools effectively. He emphasised critical thinking, adapting to changing circumstances and including artificial intelligence in classrooms. He also underlined the need to take AI-related skills to rural areas and small towns.
Keynote speaker Srijan Pal Singh stressed the need to frame clear artificial intelligence policies in universities, increase literacy about the technology and train teachers. He said teachers should teach students how to verify information obtained from artificial intelligence and critically analyse facts. He also described the integration of art, science and entrepreneurship as important for the future of education. RNTU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) R. P. Dubey proposed the vote of thanks and highlighted the importance of effective teaching, the learning process and ethical changes in education.
The technical sessions discussed teaching, research and institutional operations. The first technical session was held on “Artificial Intelligence-Based Teaching and Learning.” Google’s Aanchal Chopra discussed artificial intelligence tools, automated AI assistants and their role in problem-solving. She referred to the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in tasks such as teaching and evaluation of examination answer sheets. SGSU Vice-Chancellor and session chair Prof. Dr. Vijay Singh said artificial intelligence should remain in the role of an assistant and should not be made the final basis for every decision. Dr. Sanjay Kumar discussed the growing use of artificial intelligence in fields such as medicine and law and highlighted issues related to the reliability of its outcomes. Dr. Ranveer Singh spoke about the increasing responsibilities of teachers and the need to verify results obtained through artificial intelligence. AIU President Prof. Vinay Kumar Pathak shared views on changes in education, teacher training and possibilities for using open-source artificial intelligence models in universities.
The second technical session was held on “Artificial Intelligence in Research, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights.” ITDPR, AGU Executive Director Prof. (Dr.) Amitabh Saxena, comparing the situation with the early phase of online classes, said the role of teachers remains important despite technological changes. Dr. Tanmay Basu, head of the Department of Data Science at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, discussed convolutional neural networks in image classification, explainability of artificial intelligence and indigenous artificial intelligence solutions. Deloitte Director Amit Naik, through the example of Arjuna and Krishna in the Mahabharata, underlined the importance of guidance and counselling in the era of artificial intelligence.
The third technical session, “Artificial Intelligence, Evaluation and Institutional Administration,” discussed evaluation, campus operations and the integration of artificial intelligence at the institutional level. Prof. (Dr.) Arun Ramesh Joshi, Vice-Chancellor of Dr. C. V. Raman University, Khandwa, shared views on the possibilities of institutional integration and transformation in higher education through artificial intelligence. Dr. Abhishek Pandit, Director of Eduvantage Private Limited, said significant changes could be seen in examinations and evaluation processes in the future because of artificial intelligence. Discussing the possibilities of linking course outcomes and programme outcomes with artificial intelligence, he said the process of achieving outcomes is as important as the outcomes themselves.
Dr. Rahul K. Chaurasia, assistant professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering and the Artificial Intelligence Centre at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, shared views on artificial intelligence, machine learning, very large-scale integration and control systems. He said it was necessary to develop students’ problem-solving abilities instead of merely providing them information. He also underlined the importance of original thought and creativity in work prepared with artificial intelligence.
TCS Customer Partner and Chief Operating Officer Prashant Rathi discussed the role of artificial intelligence in campus operations. He said institutions need to move beyond separate solutions and adopt artificial intelligence at the enterprise level. He said artificial intelligence can help create effective enterprise resource planning systems and that students should develop broad knowledge of different fields.
A panel discussion on the role of artificial intelligence in the growth of startups was also held at the conference on the theme “Artificial Intelligence as a Key Medium for the Growth of Startups.” It was moderated by Krati Jain, Innovation Promotion Manager, AIC-RNTU. The panel included Pulak Rizwani, founder and chief executive officer of Opsight AI Private Limited, Dr. Anant Singh, chief executive officer of Remote Physios, and Vivek Pandey, chief executive officer of Bright Hustle. The discussion covered the role of artificial intelligence in startup growth, developing new solutions and the possibilities of converting technology into practical business.
In a talk organised as part of the conference, cyber expert Amit Dubey discussed aspects related to cyber security, digital risks and safe online behaviour in the era of artificial intelligence. The session underlined the importance of digital awareness, security and responsible online behaviour amid the growing use of technology.
Experts at the conference emphasised that effective integration of artificial intelligence in higher education should not be limited to adopting technology. It is equally necessary to develop human judgment, critical thinking, ethical responsibility, original thinking and problem-solving ability among students.
Hashtags: #MadhyaPradesh #Bhopal #RNTU #AIU #ArtificialIntelligence #HigherEducation #AIUWestZonalConference #Startups #CyberSecurity #AIIntegrationInHigher
