The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, sustainability and human-centered innovation is transforming higher education, research, business, industry, governance and society. While AI has accelerated access to knowledge and automated routine tasks, it has posed challenges related to ethics, equality, employability, data privacy, climate resilience, digital inclusion and responsible innovation. Today, higher education institutions are no longer expected merely to impart knowledge; they must cultivate adaptive, interdisciplinary and socially responsible graduates to address complex social challenges. This transition demands a new pedagogical paradigm – Pedagogy X.0 – that extends beyond technology-enabled learning to integrate human intelligence, artificial intelligence, sustainability, experiential learning, systems thinking and collaborative problem-solving. Pedagogy X.0 envisions intelligent learning ecosystems where humans and AI co-create knowledge, innovation is guided by ethical principles and education serves as a catalyst for sustainable development. It encourages collaboration across disciplines to develop practical, scalable and technology-enabled solutions for pressing societal and environmental issues.

The conference ‘IC-HAILS 2026’ provides a platform for academics, researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, innovators and students to exchange ideas, showcase research and foster partnerships that advance sustainable, AI-enabled futures.

Institutions across the globe are grappling with a widening gap between the pace of technological change and the pace of pedagogical and policy reform. Curricula designed for a pre-AI era struggle to prepare graduates for hybrid human-AI jobs; assessment systems designed for standardised testing are not well-equipped to evaluate creativity, ethical reasoning and systems thinking; and sustainability is too often treated as an add-on module rather than a design principle. IC-HAILS 2026 aims to address this gap by convening the research, industry, government and policy boards needed to co-design pedagogical, technological and governance frameworks that are rigorous, ethical and scalable.

The conference is distinguished by its integrated perspective, viewing education, technology, and sustainability as a unified, interdependent ecosystem rather than as separate or parallel agendas. Its six interdisciplinary tracks, doctoral symposium, startup and innovation challenge and policy dialogue are designed to move beyond paper presentations toward tangible outputs – validated frameworks, prototype solutions, mentorship pathways and policy recommendations – that participating institutions, startups and government bodies can act on directly.

Target Audience: University faculty, doctoral scholars and students across disciplines; AI, data-science and engineering researchers; industry leaders in technology, manufacturing, healthcare and finance; policymakers and regulators working on AI governance and education policy; entrepreneurs and startup founders in EdTech, AgriTech, ClimateTech and HealthTech; and development-sector and civil-society practitioners engaged in sustainability and inclusion.