Pune: Human Judgement Remains Vital in the Age of AI, Says EFLU Vice-Chancellor N Nagaraju

Pune: As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly transforms education, universities must focus on developing human judgement, critical thinking and ethical reasoning alongside technological skills, said Prof N Nagaraju, Vice-Chancellor of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 20th International and 56th Annual Conference of the English Language Teachers' Association of India (ELTAI), jointly organised by ELTAI and MIT Art, Design and Technology University (MIT-ADT), Loni Kalbhor, Pune, Nagaraju said AI literacy must become an integral part of all academic disciplines rather than remain confined to engineering and computer science.

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While AI can assist with writing, analysing information and generating answers, the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood, assess evidence and make ethical decisions remains central to human learning, he said. Universities must therefore prepare students not merely to use emerging technologies but also to question information, exercise independent judgement and understand the complexities of human experience.

Referring to the concept of 'negative capability', introduced by Romantic poet John Keats, Nagaraju said institutions and academic leaders must learn to navigate uncertainty without rushing to premature conclusions. In a rapidly changing geopolitical and institutional environment, universities need to develop a process-oriented mindset that enables students and faculty members to engage with ambiguity and arrive at considered decisions.

He also highlighted the changing landscape of international higher education, marked by student mobility, cross-border academic partnerships and emerging models of international campuses. These developments, he said, require Indian institutions to rethink their global engagement strategies while adapting to the evolving demands of education.

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Emphasising the place of languages in higher education, Nagaraju called for a balance between preserving India's rich linguistic and cultural heritage and recognising English as an important medium of international academic communication. He also underlined the relevance of Indian English in the country's evolving educational and linguistic landscape.

The future of universities, he said, cannot be defined by technological adoption alone. The pursuit of knowledge, the ability to distinguish reality from fabrication and the capacity to examine ethical questions must remain at the heart of higher education, even as AI reshapes teaching and learning.

Reading Fosters Wider Knowledge: Padma Shri Girish Prabhune

At the inauguration of Read Fest, a reading festival organised for students alongside the conference, social worker and Padma Shri awardee Girish Prabhune emphasised the importance of reading in developing language proficiency and intellectual depth.

To gain mastery over any language, one must read the literature available in that language, he said. Once reading becomes a habit, language acquisition becomes more natural. Reading not only enriches vocabulary but also broadens knowledge and gives individuals the confidence to articulate informed and independent opinions on diverse subjects.

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"Language may not need science, but science certainly needs language," Prabhune said, highlighting the essential role of language in communicating and advancing scientific knowledge.

Read Fest received an enthusiastic response from students.

Key dignitaries present were Shannon West, Deputy Director of the British Council; Padma Shri Girish Prabhune; TK Arunachalam, Director for South Asia at the University of Cambridge; Prof Sunita Karad, Executive Director of MIT-ADT University; Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajesh S; Provost Dr Sayali Gankar; Dr John Varghese; Dr MS Xavier Pradeep Singh; conference chief organiser and Director of the School of Holistic Development Prof Atul Patil; and ELTAI National Vice-President Dr Kishore Selva Babu, among others.

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