Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) has ordered that all undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in public and private universities include a compulsory course on artificial intelligence (AI) beginning in the 2026 academic session.
The regulatory directive issued Thursday calls for a three-credit-hour AI course to be integrated into curricula, either as an interdisciplinary subject, supporting course or elective that all students must complete. The HEC said the move responds to the “rapidly evolving global educational and technological landscape,” where artificial intelligence plays an increasingly central role across sectors such as healthcare, business, governance and science
Under the policy, universities have been instructed to incorporate the mandatory AI subject “without delay,” with the aim of equipping graduates with basic knowledge and skills to understand and responsibly use AI tools in their fields of study. The commission characterized the course not as an add-on but as a necessity in the 21st-century digital economy.
The requirement will take effect from the fall semester of 2026 and applies to all degree programs nationwide. Officials said detailed curriculum guidance and implementation oversight would follow in the coming months.
Global Context: AI in Education
Countries worldwide are increasingly moving to integrate AI education into formal schooling and higher education, reflecting growing global demand for digital skills and technological literacy.
AI Education in Australia
Australia is actively shaping AI education policy across its education system, though it has not mandated a single compulsory AI course for all university degree programs as Pakistan’s HEC has done. Instead, the country has developed national frameworks and curriculum guidance to ensure students learn about AI concepts responsibly.
The Australian Curriculum, overseen by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, includes explicit references to artificial intelligence across subjects such as Digital Technologies and Mathematics from early schooling through Year 10. In 2023, federal and state education ministers endorsed the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools, providing guidance on safe, ethical and transparent classroom use of AI tools. Universities across Australia are also revising academic integrity policies and expanding AI-related degrees and research programs to align with the country’s National AI Strategy. Earlier Australia Enforces World’s First Social Media Ban for Children Under 16
AI Education in China
China has moved aggressively to embed AI education within its national development strategy. The Ministry of Education has incorporated AI modules into primary and secondary school curricula, with expanded compulsory components rolling out from 2025. The program emphasizes coding, robotics, algorithmic thinking and machine learning fundamentals.
The push aligns with China’s broader ambition to become a global AI leader under its national AI development plans. Major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have piloted dedicated AI textbooks and laboratory programs in schools, while universities have rapidly expanded AI institutes, degree programs and research funding. The integration of AI education is closely tied to workforce planning and national competitiveness goals.
AI Education in United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The United Arab Emirates has positioned AI at the center of its national transformation agenda. Under its National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, the UAE introduced AI as a subject across public schools, becoming one of the first countries to formally embed AI education at all grade levels.
The initiative includes age-appropriate AI modules from kindergarten through Grade 12, focusing on computational thinking, data literacy and ethical AI use. The country also appointed a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in 2017 and has partnered with universities to establish specialized AI programs, reflecting its aim to diversify its economy beyond oil and build a knowledge-based workforce.
AI Education in Singapore and Finland
In Singapore, AI education is embedded within the Smart Nation initiative, which promotes digital literacy, coding and data science education from an early age. Schools integrate computational thinking into core subjects, and higher education institutions offer interdisciplinary AI programs tied to industry partnerships.
Finland has taken a citizen-focused approach through the widely recognized “Elements of AI” online course, developed by the University of Helsinki. The free program aims to build foundational AI literacy among the general population and has been adopted internationally, reflecting Finland’s emphasis on inclusive digital skills.
AI Education in India
India has integrated AI into its broader digital education reforms under the National Education Policy 2020. The Central Board of Secondary Education introduced AI as an elective subject in secondary schools, and several states have launched AI-focused curricula and teacher training initiatives.
At the higher education level, leading institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology have expanded AI degree offerings and research centers. However, unlike Pakistan’s nationwide mandate, AI coursework is not yet compulsory across all university programs and varies by institution and state.
AI Education in United States, UK and Canada
In the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, universities are rapidly expanding AI courses, research initiatives and governance policies. While there is no single national mandate requiring AI as a compulsory subject across all degree programs, governments have released national AI strategies and funding initiatives to support research, innovation and workforce development.
Academic institutions are also incorporating AI ethics, data governance and responsible innovation frameworks into curricula, reflecting concerns about bias, privacy and the societal impacts of emerging technologies.
International organizations such as UNESCO are promoting global guidelines for the ethical integration of AI in education, urging member states to adopt human-centered, inclusive and transparent approaches to AI deployment in schools and universities.