Artificial intelligence has moved rapidly from the periphery of higher education into its operational and academic core. Universities now encounter AI not only as a technological development, but as a governance challenge that affects teaching, assessment, research, administration, student support, and institutional legitimacy. In 2026, the central question is no longer whether universities should engage with AI, but how they should govern it responsibly. Recent international

Introduction The question of what makes a higher education institution globally credible has become increasingly significant in an era defined by international student mobility, digital learning environments, transnational partnerships, and intensifying public scrutiny. Credibility in higher education is no longer established solely through age, size, or local prestige. Instead, it is shaped by a more complex set of academic, organizational, ethical, and social factors that i