Participate in a global survey on AI in higher education

Dear colleagues and students

Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education at a pace that makes reliable, evidence-based data more important than ever. Understanding how students and staff are engaging with AI – across institutions and regions – helps us respond thoughtfully, set sound policy and build the support structures our community needs. The University of Cape Town (UCT) has been active in this space, including through the development and ratification of our AI in Education Framework, and I believe we have much to contribute to, and gain from, a broader regional conversation.

To that end, I am pleased to invite all staff and students to participate in the Digital Education Council (DEC) Regional AI in Higher Education Survey 2026. The DEC is conducting this benchmark study across higher education institutions globally, with the aim of providing institutions, policymakers and educators with actionable data on AI adoption, literacy and governance expectations. The previous edition gathered over 30000 responses, and the 2026 survey promises to be an equally significant resource.

What the survey covers

The survey is structured around three areas:

• Usage and perception: how frequently and for what purposes AI tools are being used and how staff and students feel about AI in academic settings.
• Competency: practical AI skills and theoretical understanding, mapped against the DEC AI Literacy Framework.
• Governance: community perspectives on academic integrity, data privacy and expectations for institutional AI policy.

Practical details

The survey takes approximately 10-20 minutes to complete and does not collect any personally identifiable information. Individual UCT data will not be shared publicly; however, as a DEC member and participating institution, UCT will have access to a private benchmarking report with our campus-specific data – a valuable resource for informing our ongoing work on AI in education.

The survey closes on 15 May 2026.

• Complete the survey.

I encourage as many staff and students as possible to participate. The more representative our responses, the more useful the benchmarking data will be – both for the sector and for UCT as we continue to shape our own approach to AI in teaching, learning and academic issues.

The surveys have been approved by the Centre for Higher Education Development Research Ethics Committee, the Department of Student Affairs and Human Resources.

If you have any questions about the surveys, please contact the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching Helpdesk.

Thank you for your continued engagement with this important area of work.

Sincerely

Professor Brandon Collier-Reed
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements