United Board Fellows Explore the Future of Higher Education at AIT School of Management

By: Dr. Nabeel Bokhari

The School of Management (SOM) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) was honored to host a distinguished group of participants from the 2025-2026 United Board Fellows Program for a special leadership and professional development program focused on the future of higher education in Asia. The event brought together emerging academic leaders and university administrators from across Asia, reflecting the United Board’s mission of developing transformative leaders committed to advancing higher education and fostering institutional resilience.

The program centered on the theme “Future Ready Universities in Asia,” exploring how higher education institutions can adapt and thrive amid rapid technological, environmental, and societal change. The initiative was designed to provide participants with practical insights, innovative strategies, and thought-provoking discussions on the evolving role of universities in the region.

The one-day program featured four expert-led sessions delivered by distinguished practitioners and academics from AIT and beyond. Dr. Roger Levermore started the first session with an engaging session on “Beyond Technology: Building Agile and AI-Ready Universities,” which incorporated a management simulation case study to examine institutional agility and strategic adaptation in the age of AI. Participants then explored sustainability in higher education through a session by Ms. Sireesha Bantu titled “Embedding Sustainability into University Strategy: From Campus to Living Lab,” highlighting how universities can integrate sustainability into both operations and learning environments.

In the afternoon, Dr. Sein Minn delivered a session on “AI-Enabled Universities: Transforming Teaching, Research, and Governance,” providing insights into how AI is reshaping academic ecosystems and creating new opportunities for innovation in higher education. The final session, led by Prof. Joyashree Roy, focused on “Universities as Catalysts for Climate Action and Resilient Societies,” emphasizing the critical role universities play in addressing global sustainability challenges and supporting resilient communities.

The program was complemented by a visit to AIT’s main campus, where participants were introduced to AIT’s sustainability initiatives and AI-related facilities, providing practical examples of how universities can integrate innovation and sustainability into their institutional strategies.

The event further strengthened the longstanding relationship between AIT and the United Board while reinforcing SOM’s commitment to fostering academic leadership, innovation, and regional collaboration. As universities continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, programs such as these play an important role in equipping higher education leaders with the knowledge, networks, and vision required to shapre the future of learning in Asia.