Dr Xin Bi shares AI policy insights at Zambian workshop

Dr Xin Bi, Chief Officer of Data and Director of the Centre for Knowledge and Information at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), recently delivered an online presentation via Zoom at the National Generative AI Policy Drafting Workshop, held from 17-18 July in Kabwe, Zambia.

The event was led by the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE), an organisation affiliated with the UNESCO International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (UNESCO-ICHEI), in collaboration with Mulungushi University, Zambia, and the country’s Ministry of Education.

Attendees at the National Generative AI Policy Drafting Workshop in Kabwe, Zambia

Speaking virtually, Dr Bi presented a talk called “Global Models of AI Policy in Higher Education: Insights from Government and Academia”, offering a comparative framework that spans international, national, and institutional levels of AI integration.

In his address, Dr Bi introduced a three-level policy framework, including:

• International perspectives, particularly those from UNESCO;
• Regional and national AI policies; and
• Institution-level approaches.

His talk also highlighted XJTLU’s AI strategic framework and featured examples from leading universities, along with insights into policy design, institutional readiness, and ethical safeguards.

Attendees listening to the presentation

Dr Brian Halubanza, Coordinator at the IIOE Zambia National Centre, expressed gratitude for Dr Bi’s contribution, saying his talk “offered immense value” to the delegates and was “very insightful and relevant” to their task at hand. These insights, Dr Halubanza noted, play a key role in shaping the direction of Zambia’s national AI policy for higher education.

The workshop aimed to lay the foundation for Zambia’s first national policy on the use of generative AI in higher education, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. This engagement also reflected XJTLU’s ongoing commitment to supporting digital transformation and the responsible use of AI in education.

By Xinmin Han

Edited by Patricia Pieterse

Photos courtesy of the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI)