IBA, Aga Khan and Habib universities sign MoU on AI in teaching

KARACHI: Three leading universities of Karachi have taken an important step to promote teaching and learning through artificial intelligence.

IBA Karachi, in collaboration with Aga Khan University and Habib University, held the annual Teaching and Learning Symposium 2026 at the IBA Main Campus. It was titled “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching”.

Educational leaders, teachers, researchers and teaching experts from Karachi, other cities of the country and abroad attended the symposium. The participants discussed the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence creates in higher education.

Dr Sana Tauseef, the conference chair and Director of the Office of Academic Quality and Excellence at IBA Karachi, delivered the opening remarks. She stressed the importance of cooperation among institutions to deal with the impact of artificial intelligence on education. She also praised the role of the leadership of the three universities.

Dr Farid Panjwani, Dean of the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development, described the occasion as an important milestone in joint efforts to promote teaching and learning.

Panel discussion and MoU

A panel discussion was held at the symposium under the title “Teaching Today and Tomorrow in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: What Universities Should Stop, Start and Continue”. It was moderated by Dr S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director of IBA Karachi.

Aga Khan University President Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, Habib University President Wasif Rizvi, Darbeen Chief Executive Officer Salma Aslam and Beaconhouse National University Vice Chancellor Dr Moeed Yusuf took part in the discussion.

On the occasion, a memorandum of understanding was signed between IBA Karachi, Aga Khan University and Habib University. The memorandum reflects the shared commitment of the three institutions to promoting innovation and academic cooperation in teaching and learning.

Professor Dr Fazilat Siddiq of the University of Oslo, Norway, delivered the keynote address on “Critical Thinking and Autonomous Decision-Making in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Is It Time to Rethink Higher Education?” She highlighted the importance of critical thinking, student autonomy, and technical, pedagogical and subject knowledge in higher education.

The symposium also included interactive sessions, an EdTech innovation showcase, Visual Voices and special performances by students.

The ceremony ended with the distribution of awards. Dr Jane Rarieya, Vice Provost for Quality, Teaching and Learning at Aga Khan University, and Dr Muhammad Shahid Sheikh, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Habib University, delivered the closing remarks. They highlighted the importance of cooperation among educational institutions to promote higher education.