INCORPORATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA: CONTEXT AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Higher education is a key driver of societal change, a role profoundly shaped and accelerated by a range of interconnected global influences and factors. These include advancements in technology, the forces of globalization and internationalization, rapid shifts in sociocultural norms, and transitions in geopolitical landscapes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a strategic priority worldwide, driving innovations in the knowledge economy and transforming higher education. The incorporation of AI into higher education systems is being shaped by a complex web of interconnected global influences and structural forces. These include advancements in digital technologies, the accelerating momentum of globalization and internationalization, and shifts in the global geopolitical landscape. This article analyzes higher education policies of the Republic of Armenia (RA) to identify explicit references to AI and to evaluate the extent to which these policy provisions are being implemented at the institutional level. The article examines how AI-related policies are being applied across the RA HEIs, namely YSU, NPUA, and AUA. To contextualize Armenia’s trajectory, the article also offers a comparative analysis of international best practices in AI integration within higher education systems, drawing on the experiences of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. This article posits that the strategic and timely incorporation of AI into the RA’s higher education policies, institutional strategies and frameworks, and academic offerings serves as a critical lever for advancing national innovation capacity, driving educational modernization in the RA higher education system, and enhancing competitiveness within the knowledge economy at national and global levels.