AI is expected to bring about profound changes for the higher education sector, presenting numerous opportunities as well as serious and urgent challenges that must be addressed in the transition towards AI-driven systems. This chapter provides a Practical Guide targeted at higher education leaders, setting out actionable recommendations and steps that can be taken at an institutional level to adapt to AI in a responsible and ethical manner. The Practical Guide has been designed with HEIs in resource-constrained contexts in mind, but it is also intended to be flexible and responsive to a range of local/ global institutional and regulatory situations. It signals actions that affect internal capacity building, institutional governance, teaching, research, and community engagement. These actions also include specific recommendations on gender equality that can lead to transformation by addressing the root causes of gender inequalities.

One of the key issues for higher education institutions in the immediate future, regardless of location or resource level,
is the need for HEI leadership to be equipped to advance in the responsible implementation of AI. The Practical Guide
sets out detailed actions for responsibly integrating AI. To recap, these recommendations are:

• Build internal capacity;
• Develop a policy framework for AI;
• Innovate in pedagogy and skills training;
• Promote AI research and application;
• Mobilize knowledge and communities around AI;
• Improve gender equality for AI and higher education.