AI ambition, human values

Dr. Hazri Kifle
Vice-Chancellor
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)

Dr. Hazri Kifle says universities must move quickly on AI while preserving the human values that define higher education.

Gavin Allen: Universities are at different stages of implementing AI. Where does UBD sit?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: We were the first government institution in Brunei to develop an AI policy, so people were a bit skeptical, asking “Can we not wait until things are really mature?” I said, “No, we cannot wait,” and we created guidelines for staff and students as a starting point. We haven’t fully integrated AI into our education, research and administration, but we are moving towards that.

Gavin Allen: How will you get AI embedded across the board?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: First, we’re training our people in building capacity across disciplines. For example, we have conducted ChatGPT training at every level of university administration, for lecturers and students. At first, we didn’t have enough people with expertise, so with Coursera, we have come up with a hybrid 3-year degree on AI, using 40% Coursera and 60% in-person teaching.

Gavin Allen: And what's the goal in implementing AI?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: It’s to change how we do things and to make us more productive. For example, in research, we can shrink research timelines from years to weeks. But critically, we must use AI purposefully and ethically, integrating it with caution.

Gavin Allen: Is the university sector becoming an increasingly competitive field, or is a rising tide lifting all boats?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: Some faculties move fast with AI, while others are hesitant, but this creates healthy competition. When excellent teaching using AI is rewarded, and universities see its benefits, then the mindset changes and they start to adopt it.

Gavin Allen: Will the role of a university shift from teaching toward facilitating self-directed learning and human interaction?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: This is the challenge for higher education: do we still need a university when I can just go online for personalized learning and get my certificate for a lot less money? But a university still has credibility as the place to physically come together to exchange ideas. Nothing can replace that human interchange. It will shift, of course, which is why we’re developing our Center for Lifelong Learning at UBD, focusing on micro-credentials. One of our dreams is that every university module is micro-credential, offering you two pathways: full-time at university or online at your own pace.

Gavin Allen: What's the relationship between universities and companies such as Huawei which provide this technology and facilitation?

It's very important because we cannot walk alone, we don't have the resources. But my time at the Ministry of Education taught me that projects can fall short when they are fully controlled and protected by vendors, without alignment on the purpose and value proposition intended. It must be a genuine partnership with a shared purpose and mutual benefit.

Gavin Allen: When deciding how to implement AI, how do universities navigate the Jurassic Park problem: the “what we could be doing” vs. “what we should be doing” judgment call?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: We’ve set up our Digital Transformation Governance structure to ensure someone looks at UBD’s strategic vision. This group is separate from the operational people who make sense of AI across teaching, research, and infrastructure. Instead, they focus on ethics, guidelines and policies. Mix them up and you have the same problem as Jurassic Park.

Gavin Allen: Is that a difficult line to walk – between pushing forward with technological implementation and governance as a kind of safety brake?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: Yes, it’s a difficult balance. Universities need to be ambitious and push forward with innovation, while making sure there are effective safeguards and governance in place. At the same time, we have to convince stakeholders that experimenting with new technologies is necessary, even if the path forward is still evolving.

Gavin Allen: How do universities act as long-term anchors, rather than short-term contributors, to the innovation ecosystem in Asia?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: Universities must develop their own specialties or strengths, particularly in research. That doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years, sometimes decades, to build expertise, credibility, and a reputation. For example, we want UBD to be recognized as a leader in biodiversity research. That way, students, scholars, and industry will know where to come for expertise and collaboration.

Gavin Allen: You’ve said you want to see a greater exchange of students and expertise across engineering, AI, and digital transformation with China?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: We want to help our government diversify the economy. We have limited resources and industries available, so we want to work together with the universities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) for a mutual partnership. We’re setting up joint labs with some universities, both at UBD and in China, and there is proactive collaboration with GBA universities for student and researcher exchange, and for knowledge transfer.

Gavin Allen: What’s your advice to others for the next five years?

Dr. Hazri Kifle: Don't try to imitate what others are doing with AI – be true and unique to your own identity. AI can be there as an enabler, but our human values, identity, and interaction are the real anchor.