Governing generative AI in higher education: a global Delphi study on policy and practice

Abstract As GenAI technologies become more pervasive in higher education (HE), scholars call for guidance on AI governance. To meet this need, a Delphi technique and collective writing was used in gathering expert perspectives from across 22 countries/locations and six continents. This resulted in the development of a HE GenAI policy/guidelines framework with eight core areas: (1) academic integrity, (2) ethical use and responsible use, (3) privacy and protection, (4) equitable access, (5) GenAI literacy, (6) integration strategy, (7) human oversight and accountability, and (8) institutional support and infrastructure. In addition, a six-part framework was developed to ensure that policies remain current and relevant: (1) creating a dedicated GenAI Committee, (2) conducting regularly scheduled policy reviews, (3) providing ongoing professional development and support, (4) communicating with all stakeholders, (5) evaluating the effectiveness and impact of GenAI, and 6) monitoring external developments. By providing a robust, eight-part framework for policy and guidelines, alongside a six-part mechanism for continued review, this study offers faculty, students, administrators, educational leaders, policymakers, and funders a responsible, adaptable, and consensus-driven blueprint for navigating the integration of GenAI in HE, ensuring that technological innovation serves pedagogical excellence.

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Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education
Published
2026-05-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-026-00602-z
Primary Topic
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Governing generative AI in higher education: a global Delphi study on policy and practice

Agnes Chigona, Johanna Velander, Mohd Ali Samsudin, Helen Crompton et al.
International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
article

Governing generative AI in higher education: a global Delphi study on policy and practice

Agnes Chigona, Johanna Velander, Mohd Ali Samsudin, Helen Crompton, Junhong Xiao, Diane Burke, Adam Edmett, Mourad Benali, Agnieszka Palalas, Mike Sharples, Hasan Tınmaz, John H. Curry, Mohan Yang, Lucy Gill-Simmen, Lenandlar Singh, Jeffrey A. Greene, Mari van Wyk, Lance Eaton, Nellie Deutsch, Fengchun Miao, Inge de Waard, Jinhee Kim, Stephen Marshall, Christine Nickel, Curtis J. Bonk, Andreia de Bem Machado, Mark Pegrum, LeeAnn Lindsey, Sean Yu, Francisco Bellas, Manuel B. Garcia, Matthew L. Bernacki, R. Rajalakshmi, David Parsons, Aras Bozkurt, Suzaan le Roux, Maha Bali
article en

Abstract

Abstract As GenAI technologies become more pervasive in higher education (HE), scholars call for guidance on AI governance. To meet this need, a Delphi technique and collective writing was used in gathering expert perspectives from across 22 countries/locations and six continents. This resulted in the development of a HE GenAI policy/guidelines framework with eight core areas: (1) academic integrity, (2) ethical use and responsible use, (3) privacy and protection, (4) equitable access, (5) GenAI literacy, (6) integration strategy, (7) human oversight and accountability, and (8) institutional support and infrastructure. In addition, a six-part framework was developed to ensure that policies remain current and relevant: (1) creating a dedicated GenAI Committee, (2) conducting regularly scheduled policy reviews, (3) providing ongoing professional development and support, (4) communicating with all stakeholders, (5) evaluating the effectiveness and impact of GenAI, and 6) monitoring external developments. By providing a robust, eight-part framework for policy and guidelines, alongside a six-part mechanism for continued review, this study offers faculty, students, administrators, educational leaders, policymakers, and funders a responsible, adaptable, and consensus-driven blueprint for navigating the integration of GenAI in HE, ensuring that technological innovation serves pedagogical excellence.

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher EducationVol. 23(1)
Idaho State University (US), Universidade da Coruña (ES), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US), Northeastern University (US), UNESCO (FR), British Council (GB), Auckland Institute of Studies (NZ), Anadolu University (TR), Universiti Sains Malaysia (MY), Democritus University of Thrace (GR), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (ZA), The University of Western Australia (AU), Royal Holloway University of London (GB), University of Canterbury (NZ), Korea University (KR), Saint Joseph's College (US), Northern Arizona University (US), The Open University (GB), Linnaeus University (SE), Taipei City Government (TW), Shantou University (CN), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR), Victoria University of Wellington (NZ), Eskişehir City Hospital (TR), Indiana University Bloomington (US), Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions (US), Far Eastern University (PH), University of Pretoria (ZA), American University in Cairo (EG), Old Dominion University (US), Woosong University (KR), Athabasca University (CA), Texas A&M University (US), University of Guyana (GY)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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