Institutional Inertia vs. Ethical Innovation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Governance at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur and Cambridge University Press

Abstract

The article compares the responses of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) in Pakistan and Cambridge University Press to the rise of generative AI in research in the period 2023-2025. While Cambridge embraced an early formal AI ethics policy that addressed authorship, disclosure, and research integrity, IUB revised its thesis regulations without so much as a mention of AI tools. This oversight stands out all the more in the context of IUB's subsequent announcement of an "AI-backed" bachelor's program, offered sans any underlying ethical framework. Through a comparative case study, the article demonstrates how Cambridge's early move, in keeping with international best practices by the likes of Oxford, Toronto, and Hong Kong, stands in sharp contrast to IUB's seeming symbolic ad-hoc response. The study is supported by a scoring matrix and timeline that identify major differences in the responsiveness of policies, ethical clarity, and institutional consistency. The article concludes by making practical recommendations to South Asian universities, urging them to revise procedures, invest in faculty and student training, and embrace clear AI governance that is transparent. By bridging the gap between innovation and integrity, universities can create a research culture that looks to the future while being ethically strong.