Artificial Intelligence and the University in the Global South

About the Book

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping not just technology, but the very nature of intelligence itself. Traditionally, universities have played a critical role in nurturing human intelligence -- emphasizing effort, discipline, and institutional oversight to validate learning, certify capability, and build trust within society. However, the rise of AI now allows for intelligence-like outputs to be generated rapidly, at scale, and often without transparency, putting the foundational role of higher education under considerable pressure. This book introduces the concept of Manufactured Intelligence—intelligence created through industrial processes and separated from the human growth that once defined it. The central challenge for universities extends beyond simply adopting AI tools or preventing academic misconduct; it involves safeguarding institutional legitimacy and maintaining public trust in their ability to certify genuine learning and capability. While AI’s impact is global, it is particularly pronounced in the Global South, where universities are essential for social mobility and national development. As AI weakens traditional institutional signals, reliance on external rankings and platforms grows, risking autonomy and increasing dependency. Offering a balanced analysis, the book explores how AI transforms teaching, assessment, research, credentialing, governance, and trust. It calls for deliberate, responsible transformation to ensure universities remain credible stewards of intelligence in the AI era. For university leaders, policymakers, regulators, faculty, and all those concerned with the future of higher education, this is not a book about technology. It is a book about responsibility in a world changing due to AI. This is yet another book by the Author on transformation after Artificial Intelligence Implementation Guide: Transforming to AI Using AI4mation (ISBN 979-8823094078), and Artificial Intelligence Ethics: A Maturity Assessment Framework (ISBN 979-8823092258). The author, Azhar Zia-ur-Rehman, has more than 46 years of rich and varied experience in more than 20 countries and more than 15 verticals. He can be contacted at azharzr@hotmail.com.

About the Author