MAKASSAR – Digital transformation in higher education has entered a new chapter at Hasanuddin University. Amid the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education, Unhas is taking a strategic step by establishing the Institute for Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, led by Prof. Dr. Eng. Ir. Muhammad Niswar, S.T., M.InfoTech.
The inauguration of Prof. Niswar as head of the institute took place at the Inauguration and Oath-Taking Ceremony for Officials within Hasanuddin University at Baruga A.P. Pettarani, Unhas Tamalanrea Campus, on Tuesday (7 July), together with 20 other officials who were entrusted with new responsibilities.
The establishment of the new institute is part of Unhas’s larger strategy to build a smart campus ecosystem that integrates digital technology and AI into the delivery of the tridharma (the three pillars of higher education: teaching, research, and community service). The step also underscores Unhas’s commitment to delivering innovation that produces academic governance that is more adaptive, efficient, and impactful.
Prof. Muhammad Niswar is no newcomer to developing digital transformation at Unhas. Born in Ujung Pandang on 22 September 1973, Prof. Niswar has a long track record in information technology.
Prof. Niswar once served as Director of Information Technology Systems at Unhas. Before taking up this new post, Prof. Niswar was Head of the Special Work Unit (UKK) for Science and Laboratory Services at Unhas. That experience is an important asset in steering the acceleration of digital transformation, now one of the university’s strategic agendas.
AI and the World of Education
Amid differing views on the impact of AI on education, Prof. Niswar believes artificial intelligence should not be seen as a threat. Instead, AI should be understood as a technology that can expand human capacity when used appropriately, responsibly, and in line with academic ethics.
“Many people say AI will make students think less. I see it the other way around. We must learn to live alongside AI. What needs to be built is not dependence but the ability to use AI to produce a learning process that is of higher quality and more critical,” explained Prof. Niswar.
This view underpins the development of various AI-based systems that will be implemented in stages at Unhas. One main focus is the development of AI Powered Assessment and Proctoring, a system that supports lecturers in preparing learning evaluation instruments, analyzing the quality of exam questions, and helping carry out exam supervision more objectively, efficiently, and accountably.
In addition, Unhas will develop AI Powered Manuscript Review and Editing Tools to support better scientific publications by the academic community. The technology is designed to help with manuscript editing, checking the structure of scientific writing, and giving recommendations for improving manuscripts before they are published in reputable national and international journals.
Digital transformation is also directed at strengthening the Data Processing and Analytics system, which allows institutional data to be managed in a more integrated way. Through AI-based analysis, academic, research, human resources, and administrative service data can be turned into strategic information that supports fast, accurate, and evidence-based decision-making.
To support this implementation, Hasanuddin University is also preparing high-capacity computing infrastructure through a planned procurement of server machines that will serve as the foundation for various AI applications on campus. This infrastructure is expected to deliver a digital system that is secure, reliable, and ready to meet the needs of future technology development.
According to Prof. Niswar, the success of digital transformation is measured not only by how advanced the technology is, but by how far it delivers real benefits to the academic community. For that reason, all AI development at Unhas will be guided by the principles of being fit for purpose, inclusive, and supportive of improving the quality of higher education.
“AI must not be just a technology trend. AI must be an academic partner that helps lecturers teach more effectively, helps students learn more deeply, strengthens the quality of research, and supports an increasingly smart university governance. That is where digital transformation finds its meaning,” Prof. Niswar emphasized.
In line with the establishment of the Institute for Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, Hasanuddin University also launched the Artificial Intelligent System Unhas as the foundation for developing various AI-based services on campus.
The system is expected to be an accelerator for digital innovations that improve the quality of learning, strengthen research competitiveness, speed up data-driven decision-making, and position Unhas as an impactful university ready to lead the transformation of higher education in the era of artificial intelligence. (*/mir)
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.