Pakistan Expands AI Education as HEC Makes AI Course Mandatory
Pakistan AI education plan took a major step on Thursday. The Higher Education Commission directed universities to make AI a compulsory subject. As a result, students in every degree programme will study artificial intelligence.
HEC said undergraduate and postgraduate programmes must include a three-credit AI course. The commission wants learners to gain essential digital skills early.
HEC Orders AI Course for All Degrees
HEC instructed universities to add AI across all disciplines. Institutions can offer the course as an elective or interdisciplinary subject. They may also include it as a supporting course within existing programmes.This decision aims to prepare young people for the modern workforce. In addition, it supports Pakistan’s growing focus on technology and innovation.
Education experts believe AI knowledge will help graduates compete globally. Therefore, universities must update their curricula quickly.
Government Announces Billion-Dollar AI Investment
The Pakistan AI education plan also aligns with a new national vision. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently announced that Pakistan will invest $1 billion in AI by 2030.
He shared this plan during the inauguration of Indus AI Week 2026 in Islamabad. He also promised to build a strong national AI ecosystem.
The prime minister said the government will introduce AI curriculum in federally run schools. It will also expand learning to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and remote parts of Balochistan.In addition, Pakistan will award 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI by 2030. These scholarships will help develop world-class research centres.
The government will also train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills. As a result, workers can improve productivity and livelihoods.PM Shehbaz said AI will support agriculture, mines, minerals, and youth empowerment. He assured startups and IT professionals that these changes will create new opportunities.This Pakistan AI education plan highlights the country’s push toward a smarter digital future.
