AI Course Declared Mandatory in Universities across the Country

A major decision has come out of the higher education sector in Pakistan where the Higher Education Commission has announced to make Artificial Intelligence a compulsory subject at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in all public and private universities. This three-credit hour course will be included in every degree program from the academic session 2026.

HEC Executive Director Dr. Zia-ul-Haq has issued formal instructions to universities and degree awarding institutions. The letter states that in a rapidly changing world, artificial intelligence is giving a new direction to various sectors including education, health, economy and management, therefore it has become imperative to provide students with the skills to use this technology responsibly and ethically.

According to the instructions, universities will be able to include this course as a compulsory component, interdisciplinary subject or as part of a related course according to their program structure, however, it is necessary to cover the basic concepts of AI. HEC says that this move is an important step towards aligning the country’s higher education system with modern requirements.