Speakers Announced! 5-Day Countdown to the 2026 Leadership Policy Dialogue in South Asia
On May 20, 2026, the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), in collaboration with the UNESCO Kathmandu Office, Tribhuvan University, and the Asian Development Bank, will jointly host the "2026 Leadership Policy Dialogue in South Asia: Charting Responsible and Innovative AI Integration in Higher Education." This dialogue aims to advance the integration of AI within higher education across the South Asian region.
The meeting will be a one-day event, featuring policy discussions, presentations of good practices, interactive panel discussions, and enterprise exhibition booths showcasing cutting-edge educational technologies and applications.
The meeting will be held in-person and live-streamed via the ZOOM platform.
The meeting will bring together around 100 participants from South Asia and beyond. Attendees include representatives from countries such as China, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bhutan. The gathering will also feature Vice Chancellors from 9 prestigious universities, including Tribhuvan University (Nepal), the University of Dhaka (Bangladesh), and the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka).
The Featured Speakers of 2026 Leadership Policy Dialogue in South Asia
H.E. Mr. Sasmit Pokharel, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, and Minister of Youth and Sports, Nepal
H.E. Mr. ZHANG Maoming, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Nepal
Dr. Kedar Prasad Acharya, Secretary, University Grants Commission, Nepal
Prof. Sudan Jha, Member of the National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal
Prof. Sushil Bahadur Bajracharya, Vice Chancellor, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Mr. Arnaud Cauchois, Country Director, Nepal Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank
Ms. Shafika Isaacs, Chief of Section for Technology and Al in Education, UNESCO Headquarters in Paris [Online]
Mr. Jaco du Toit, UNESCO Representative to Nepal and Head of the Office
Prof. JIN Li, Director, UNESCO-ICHEI
Prof. YANG Xueming, Chair of the Governing Board, UNESCO-ICHEI
Event Details
Date & Time: 20 May 2026, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm, Kathmandu time (GMT+5:45)
Location: The Everest Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Hosts:
UNESCO Kathmandu
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Asian Development Bank
International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI)
Conference Language: English
Programme Theme
Session IV: Integrating Gen AI in technical and vocational education and training (TVET)
Expected Outcomes
Launch the IIOE Nepal National Centre to serve as a national hub for teacher capacity building and higher education digital transformation and present IIOE’s latest course resources and training programmes;
Establish a multi-stakeholder platform to facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building, and policymaking on AI integration in higher education in South Asia and beyond;
Showcase good practices, lessons learned, and available resources from HEIs, international organisations, and private sector entities to facilitate higher education development in the AI era;
Promote the integration of Generative AI in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to enhance workforce readiness and future skills development in South Asia;
Strengthen collaboration among stakeholders in relation to South Asia's highereducation sector, especially industry-academia cooperation and South-South and triangular cooperation, to nurture knowledge-based and innovation-driven societies.
The wave of AI is reshaping the global education landscape at a rapid pace. For South Asia, this represents not only a technological shift but also a significant opportunity for the digital and intelligent transformation of higher education. The 2026 Leadership Policy Dialogue in South Asia aims to provide an open platform for stakeholders to explore practical pathways and shared experiences of AI integration in higher education.
Join us online to gain insights of the digital and intelligent development of higher education in South Asia!
