The future of higher education may be increasingly digital, but the people behind the technology remain central to its success. ValidViewNetwork reports that the Registrar of McPherson University, Mrs. Emi’ Alawode, brought this human centred perspective to the 2026 Women Leaders in Higher Education Summit in Cape Town, South Africa.
Her message was clear and timely: universities must embrace artificial intelligence without losing sight of the people, values, experience and responsibilities that define higher education.
The international summit, held from September 16 to 18, 2026, brought together higher education leaders and stakeholders from different countries, institutions and professional backgrounds.
The participants examined emerging issues surrounding innovation, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and the future direction of universities.
Mrs. Alawode participated virtually as one of the Panel Catalysts during Panel 3 on the second day of the summit.
The panel focused on “Intergenerational Perspectives on Digital Transformation in Higher Education.”
The session was led by Professor Seun Oyekola, who is based in Australia.
The discussion formed part of the day’s broader theme, “Innovation & AI for Transformation in Higher Education.”
The summit was anchored by the Convener, Professor Beatrice Opeolu, Director of BEE Solutions and Consultancy Services.
Professor Opeolu had recently paid a collaborative visit to McPherson University, where she was received by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Francis Igbasan.
“Digital Transformation Is Not About Technology. It Is About People.”
Drawing on more than two decades of professional experience spanning media, academia and digital communities, Mrs. Alawode offered a practical perspective on navigating rapid technological change.
She challenged the tendency to define digital transformation simply through the acquisition of new technological tools.
Making the human dimension of transformation central to her intervention, she stated:
“Digital transformation is not about technology. It is about people.”
The statement formed a major theme of her contribution as the panel examined how different generations experience and contribute to digital transformation.
Mrs. Alawode highlighted the value of bringing together the digital confidence and speed often associated with younger generations with the institutional knowledge, experience and judgement of more experienced professionals.
Rather than viewing generations as competing groups, she emphasised the importance of creating opportunities for them to learn from one another.
“Everyone Is Needed in the AI Conversation”
Artificial intelligence was another major focus of the panel, particularly its implications for teaching, research, administration, academic integrity and institutional decision making.
Mrs. Alawode advocated responsible and informed adoption of AI.
She cautioned against treating artificial intelligence simply as a threat or attempting to resist its growing presence.
Explaining the balance between technological advancement and human responsibility, she argued that AI can enhance human capability but must not replace human responsibility.
She captured the point with another striking statement:
“AI can enhance human capability, but it must not replace human responsibility.”
Taking the argument further, Mrs. Alawode stressed that the AI conversation should not be restricted by age.
She declared:
“So, whether one is aged 22, 42, 62 or 82, everyone is needed in the AI conversation.”
Her intervention therefore placed intergenerational participation at the heart of conversations about artificial intelligence and the future of universities.
Africa Must Not Be Left Behind
Mrs. Alawode also drew attention to the realities confronting universities, particularly across Africa, as institutions pursue digital transformation.
She highlighted affordability, connectivity, digital literacy, privacy and equitable access as critical considerations.
Her contribution emphasised that technological advancement should remain inclusive and should not create new barriers for students, academics or administrators.
She further stressed the need for universities to move beyond generational stereotypes.
Instead, she advocated opportunities for different generations to exchange knowledge, develop digital confidence and contribute their respective strengths to institutional transformation.
A Global Conversation With Local Relevance
The engagement provided McPherson University with a platform within an international conversation about artificial intelligence, innovation and the future of higher education.
It also highlighted the growing need for universities to consider not only what technology can do, but how technology can be responsibly integrated into teaching, research, administration and institutional development.
For African higher education institutions, the conversation carries particular significance.
Questions surrounding affordability, connectivity, digital literacy, privacy and equitable access remain important as universities seek to participate meaningfully in the rapidly changing digital environment.
Mrs. Alawode’s intervention consequently placed human responsibility, intergenerational collaboration and inclusion alongside technological innovation.
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The Future Will Need More Than Technology
The discussion at the summit points to a fundamental question facing universities worldwide: how can institutions embrace powerful technologies while preserving the human judgement, experience and values that give education its purpose?
Mrs. Alawode’s contribution offered a clear perspective.
The answer is not to choose between people and technology, but to ensure that technology serves people responsibly.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape classrooms, laboratories, research environments and university administration, the voices of different generations will increasingly matter.
For McPherson University, the Registrar’s participation represents an engagement with a global conversation that is already reshaping the higher education landscape.
For Africa, it reinforces the need to ensure that the continent’s universities are not merely consumers of emerging technologies, but active participants in defining how those technologies should be used.
And for the wider higher education community, the message from Cape Town is compelling: the technology may be artificial, but the responsibility for its use remains profoundly human.
ValidViewNetwork reports that Mrs. Emi’ Alawode’s intervention has added a people centred African perspective to an increasingly important global conversation about artificial intelligence and higher education.
As universities confront the opportunities and challenges of the digital age, the strongest transformation may ultimately depend not only on smarter technology, but on wiser people using it responsibly, ValidViewNetwork reports.
