At SIEC, AUS Chancellor stresses AIs role in future education

Sharjah 24: In an interview with Sharjah 24 on the eve of the second Sharjah International Education Conference (SIEC), Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor of the American University of Sharjah (AUS), emphasised the transformational role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of higher education.

A collaborative platform for AI dialogue

Dr. Laursen described the event as a co-organized initiative by AUS and the University of Sharjah, aimed at fostering dynamic knowledge exchange. The second day of the conference featured keynote presentations and academic papers exploring how AI intersects with higher education.

Preparing students for the AI-driven workplace

Dr Laursen stressed the importance of integrating AI into curricula and teaching methods to ensure students are job-ready. He told CNN, “If we want our graduates to be job-ready, they must be familiar with modern tools — and, more importantly, the innovative ways to use them.”

AI beyond STEM: A cross-disciplinary imperative

While AI naturally aligns with engineering and data science, Dr. Laursen highlighted its growing relevance in business analytics, social sciences, and urban planning. “This is not just a technological shift — it’s a broad educational imperative,” he noted, underlining the need for AI literacy across all academic disciplines.

Global collaboration and knowledge sharing

The conference also provided a valuable platform for academic leaders and researchers from both local and international institutions to share best practices and explore collaborative strategies for integrating AI into teaching and learning.