Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education at a pace that is challenging universities to rethink how they teach, conduct research, and support students. According to the University of the Free State's (UFS) Prof Sam Tshehla, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategic Initiatives, International and Institutional Affairs, the question is no longer whether institutions should embrace AI, but how they can use it responsibly to improve quality, expand access, and respond to African realities.

This was the message Prof Tshehla shared at the QS Africa Forum 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he joined higher education leaders from across the continent for the session, The AI imperative and the future of higher education. Alongside Prof Ghassan Aouad, Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University, and Prof Kavi Kumar Khedo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, he explored how universities can harness AI to strengthen teaching, research, and student support. The discussion was facilitated by Dr Kassim Abdi Jimale, Vice-President: Research and Development at Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology.

Putting people at the centre of AI

For Prof Tshehla, the conversation should focus less on the technology itself and more on how AI can help universities deliver quality education. 

"At the interface of the topic, it is more a question of how we make AI complementary to the provision of quality education."

He said AI presents significant opportunities across the student lifecycle – from admissions and advising to teaching, research, and student support. At the same time, universities must invest in digital literacy, institutional capacity, governance, and ethical frameworks to ensure that AI strengthens higher education rather than deepening existing inequalities. He also emphasised the need for Africa to develop its own data sets and AI systems that reflect the continent's languages, cultures, and development priorities.

Prof Tshehla said universities should move beyond simply responding to generative AI and instead equip staff and students to use it purposefully, responsibly, and critically.

"AI is no longer the future: it is already transforming higher education. Universities need to embrace AI proactively rather than simply reacting to it."

Continental recognition

During the forum, Prof Tshehla also accepted a certificate on behalf of the UFS, recognising the university's position in the QS World University Rankings: Sub-Saharan Africa 2026. The UFS is ranked ninth among 69 universities across 21 countries, reaffirming its position as one of the leading higher education institutions in the region.