Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>The higher and tertiary education sector in Zimbabwe is experiencing a rapid AI adoption wave in the total absence of a context-specific governance framework. Currently, existing policy frameworks such as the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education Act (Chap. 25.27) is silent on AI development and deployment, creating a regulatory void that exposes institutions, learners and educators to compounding governance risks. In direct response to this lacuna, this study proposes the development of a context-specific AI policy framework in Zimbabwe’s higher and tertiary education sector. Guided by DiMaggio and Powel’s 1983 institutional theory, the study evaluated literature focusing on current AI awareness, AI adoption and utilisation, perceived benefits and threats inherent to AI integration as well as analysing the institutional capacities for effective AI deployment within Zimbabwe’s higher Education institutions. Using a qualitative approach based on a multiple case study design across the 20 higher and tertiary education institutions, data were collected from 126 participants being Pro Vice Chancellors, registrars, principals, deputy registrars, faculty deans, department chairpersons/ head of departments, lecturers, and students purposively selected from Zimbabwe’s higher education institutions. The study employed the six-procedure thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke to analyse data and five thematic clusters namely AI governance, regulatory and policy landscape; ethical responsibility, integrity and data privacy; infrastructure, access and equity; human capital and institutional capacity and pedagogical innovation, curriculum reform and research emerged. From the preceding five thematic clusters, an eight - dimensional AI policy framework was designed and is aligned with Zimbabwe’s National AI Strategy, Higher Education 5.0 philosophy, the Cyber and Data Protection Act (Chap. 12:07), the National ICT Policy (2022–2027), the African Union AI Continental Strategy, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Recommendation on AI in Education (2021). This study is significant given its potential to act as a white paper towards AI development and deployment in Zimbabwe’s higher and tertiary education sector. Overall, development of the AI governance framework in Zimbabwe’s higher and tertiary education sector is essential and a timely achievable initiative as the window for policy inaction has closed.</p>