Abstract
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping higher education across the Asia-Pacific, yet much of the current discourse remains focused on efficiency, productivity, and institutional competitiveness. This panel reframes the conversation by asking a more values-driven question: how can AI be intentionally designed and deployed to generate greater Return on Values (ROV) for society by advancing equity, strengthening community impact, and reinforcing the ethical foundations of academic partnerships and mobility?
Bringing together perspectives from academia, industry, and policy, the session explores pro-social AI through the role of higher education institutions as both innovators and stewards of public good. Panellists will share research-informed insights and examples of cross-sectoral collaborations where AI-enabled tools have supported inclusion, sustainable development, and community-centred outcomes – moving beyond transactional metrics toward a richer, values-driven conception of institutional impact across the Asia-Pacific region.
Aligned with APAIE 2027’s emphasis on keeping humanity at the centre of the AI revolution, the panel will examine how universities can shape ethical, inclusive, and responsible AI partnerships with industry, government, and communities. It will offer a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the frameworks, governance models, and collaborative approaches needed for higher education to lead meaningfully in advancing pro-social AI.
Learning objectives
Delegates attending this session will:
- Understand the conceptual distinction between efficiency-focused AI adoption and pro-social AI deployment, and why that distinction matters for the design of international higher education partnerships and research collaborations in the Asia-Pacific context
- Gain insights from cross-sectoral case studies demonstrating how AI-enabled tools can advance equity, community development, and SDG-aligned outcomes within university-industry-government partnerships across the Asia-Pacific
- Identify governance frameworks— including the Return on Values (ROV) approach — that higher education institutions can adopt to embed ethical AI principles into partnership design, mobility programmes, and community-facing initiatives
- Engage in critical dialogue about the responsibilities and opportunities facing Asia-Pacific universities as they navigate the intersection of AI innovation, institutional partnerships, and the global SDG agenda
Target audience
International education leaders, research directors, partnership managers, policy professionals, ECRs, and doctoral candidates interested in AI ethics, governance, sustainability, SDGs, transnational partnerships, community-engaged research, cross-sector collaboration, institutional strategy, and research impact.