VMPL
New Delhi [India], January 31: Artificial Intelligence, ethics, governance and policy frameworks took centre stage at the Higher Education Leaders AI Conclave - Chennai Dialogue 2026, hosted by Mastersoft ERP Solutions Pvt Ltd, which brought together Vice-Chancellors, Registrars and senior academic leaders to deliberate on the future of AI adoption in Indian universities.
The conclave addressed a critical question confronting higher education institutions: How can universities leverage AI responsibly while ensuring ethical integrity, regulatory compliance and student-centric outcomes? Discussions highlighted that while AI will transform academic delivery and governance, its adoption must be anchored in accountability, transparency and institutional readiness.
Mastersoft Positions Itself at the Forefront of AI-Enabled Education Governance
Delivering the welcome address, Shri Sham Somani, Founder & Managing Director, Mastersoft, noted that education is entering the era of Agentic AI, where systems will actively execute institutional workflows rather than merely assist users.
"Menus will disappear. There will be one search bar, and AI will configure ERP systems, build question banks and support teachers. But responsible use of AI is critical," he said.
He reiterated Mastersoft's focus on governance-ready AI systems that align with regulatory requirements, institutional needs and learner expectations.
Focus on Compliance, Security and Global Standards
Introducing Mastersoft's journey, Mr. Gaurav Somani, CEO & Co-founder, Mastersoft, emphasised that AI adoption must rest on strong foundations of data privacy, cybersecurity, GDPR alignment, ISO compliance and regulatory integration.
"Even a single EU applicant makes GDPR applicable. Institutions must prepare for AI adoption with global compliance standards," he cautioned.
Ethics and Policy Take Centre Stage
A key theme across sessions was the urgent need for institutional AI governance frameworks. Dr. Vaibhav Meshram stressed, "Every institute must have strong AI governance and ethical policies. Without integrity frameworks, plagiarism, data misuse and academic disputes will multiply." Speakers agreed that ethical safeguards must keep pace with AI adoption, particularly in research, assessment, admissions and evaluation.
Panel Discussions on Governance, Innovation and Student-Centricity
Two panel discussions, moderated by Mr. Gurudev Somani, CEO & Co-founder, Mastersoft, explored Academic Leadership and Innovation in the Age of AI and Building Student-Centric Journeys in Higher Education.
The first panel featured Vaibhav Meshram, Dr. V. Bharati Harishankaran, Dr. N. Malmurugan and Dr. Sheeja Varghese, who emphasised governance reform, leadership readiness and ethical innovation as universities embed AI into decision-making.
The second panel brought together Dr. Paul Wilson, Dr. K. Sridhar, Dr. S. Mohan, Dr. Shashi Prabha and Dr. Subhaya Bharathi, focusing on learner-centric transformation through personalised pathways, AI-enabled services and holistic campus ecosystems.
Leadership Sessions Conclude the Dialogue
The conclave concluded with keynote addresses by Dr. T.P. Sasikumar, who spoke on "Reimagining Institutions: The Journey to Universityhood", and Dr. N. Jayasankaran, who addressed "Leadership Capacity to Capability - The Missing Link in Accreditation & Rankings." Both underscored that sustainable excellence in higher education depends on visionary leadership, governance maturity and the ability to translate capacity into outcomes.
The Chennai Dialogue reinforced a clear message: AI will reshape universities -- but ethics, governance and leadership will determine the direction of that transformation.
For more details please refer to: Accelerate your Institute's Success with an ERP Solution | MasterSoft
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