Published Paper Details:

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education globally, offering new possibilities to enhance teaching, learning, research, and governance (Luckin et al., 2016; Holmes et al., 2021; Lee, 2024). This paper examines AI's potential to develop "Smart Universities" -- digitally integrated, adaptive, and sustainable ecosystems. Building on recent research, it proposes a comprehensive framework integrating AI across academic, research, administrative, and governance domains (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019; Sposato, 2025). The framework emphasizes ethical implementation, inclusivity, scalability, and institutional readiness, aligning with UNESCO's AI in Education principles and India's National Education Policy 2020 (UNESCO, 2021; Ministry of Education, 2020). Recent studies highlight persistent challenges such as data governance, faculty preparedness, and infrastructure gaps (Dwivedi et al., 2021; Fortier, 2025). This work contributes to the growing body of knowledge by offering a structured model to guide responsible AI adoption and inform future research and policymaking for AI-driven higher education transformation.