13/01/2026
I finally had the chance to scan through this thoughtful working paper by UNESCO IESALC on AI in higher education.
If you work in higher ed, this is well worth your time. The paper makes a clear case that our current institutional responses to AI remain fragmented and largely superficial.
I agree with the authors on a key point: most existing AI competency frameworks, including UNESCO’s widely cited one, are fundamentally K–12 oriented.
What we see in higher education are often diluted adaptations that do not reflect the realities of university teaching, research, or professional preparation.
Faculty and students need competency frameworks designed specifically for higher education contexts.
For faculty, this means AI competencies that go beyond tool awareness to include advanced ethical reasoning, AI-informed pedagogy, assessment design, research supervision, ongoing professional development, and the ability to critically evaluate AI tools, outputs, and underlying assumptions.
Link in the first comment
