Governing Generative AI in Higher Education: A Global Delphi Study on Policy and Practice
International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, (2026), Vol. 23, No. 1
Helen Crompton
a
,
Diane Burke
a
,
Christine Nickel
a
,
Aras Bozkurt
b
,
Fengchun Miao
c
,
Mike Sharples
d
,
Jeffrey Alan Greene
e
,
David Parsons
f,g
,
Lucy Gill-Simmen
h
,
Adam Edmett
i
,
Mark Pegrum
j
,
Inge de Waard
k
,
Curtis J. Bonk
l
,
Manuel B. Garcia
m,n
,
John H. Curry
o
,
LeeAnn Lindsey
p
,
Mohan Yang
q
,
Stephen Marshall
r
,
Maha Bali
s
,
Nellie Deutsch
t
,
Suzaan le Roux
u
,
Mourad Benali
v
,
Mohd Ali Bin Samsudin
w
,
Hasan Tinmaz
x
,
Matthew L. Bernacki
e
,
Mari van Wyk
y
,
Lenandlar Singh
z
,
Agnes Chigona
u
,
Lance Eaton
aa
,
Junhong Xiao
ab
,
Johanna Velander
ac
,
Jinhee Kim
a
,
Francisco Bellas
ad
,
R. Rajalakshmi
ae
,
Andréia de Bem Machado
af
,
Agnieszka Palalas
ag
,
Sean Yu
ah
a Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA
b Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
c United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris, France
d The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
e University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
f academyEx, Auckland, New Zealand
g University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
h Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
i British Council, Doha, Qatar
j University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
k InnoEnergy, Brussels, Belgium
l Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, USA
m Educational Innovation and Technology Hub, FEU Institute of Technology, Manila, Philippines
n Graduate School of Education, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
o Idaho State University, Pocatello, USA
p AZ Institute for Education and the Economy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA
q Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
r Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
s Center for Learning and Teaching, American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
t Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece
u Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
v Regional Center for Education and Training Professions in the Oriental Region, Kenitra, Morocco
w Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
x Woosong University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
y University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
z University of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana
aa Northeastern University, Boston, USA
ab The Open University of Shantou, Shantou, China
ac Linnaeus University, Vaxjo, Sweden
ad CITIC Research Center, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
ae St. Joseph’s College for Women, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India
af Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
ag Athabasca University, Athabasca, Canada
ah Excuse Me Dallas, Taipei City, Taiwan
Abstract: As GenAI technologies become more pervasive in higher education (HE), scholars call for guidance on AI governance. To meet this need, a Delphi technique and collective writing was used in gathering expert perspectives from across 22 countries/locations and six continents. This resulted in the development of a HE GenAI policy/guidelines framework with eight core areas: (1) academic integrity, (2) ethical use and responsible use, (3) privacy and protection, (4) equitable access, (5) GenAI literacy, (6) integration strategy, (7) human oversight and accountability, and (8) institutional support and infrastructure. In addition, a six-part framework was developed to ensure that policies remain current and relevant: (1) creating a dedicated GenAI Committee, (2) conducting regularly scheduled policy reviews, (3) providing ongoing professional development and support, (4) communicating with all stakeholders, (5) evaluating the effectiveness and impact of GenAI, and 6) monitoring external developments. By providing a robust, eight-part framework for policy and guidelines, alongside a six-part mechanism for continued review, this study offers faculty, students, administrators, educational leaders, policymakers, and funders a responsible, adaptable, and consensus-driven blueprint for navigating the integration of GenAI in HE, ensuring that technological innovation serves pedagogical excellence.