SWAT: More than 120 faculty members, researchers and postgraduate scholars from leading universities across the country gathered at the University of Swat to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming academic writing, humanities research and higher education, reaffirming the need to balance technological innovation with critical thinking, ethics and scholarly integrity.
The Department of English and Foreign Languages (DEFL), University of Swat, in collaboration with the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) and Dosti Welfare Organisation, organised a one-day national academic workshop titled“Trans-Humanities Research Frameworks: Reassessing Academic Writing in the Era of Artificial Intelligence”.
The event served as a platform for scholars to discuss the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, research methodologies and contemporary humanities scholarship.
Participants represented a wide range of higher education institutions including the University of Swat, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, COMSATS University Islamabad, the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) and several other public and private universities, reflecting growing national interest in interdisciplinary humanities research.
The workshop featured keynote addresses by renowned academics. Prof Muhammad Ilyas Khan, chairman of the Department of Education at Hazara University, Mansehra, delivered a lecture on “Conducting Quality Research: From Paradigms to Methodologies,” emphasising epistemological clarity, methodological rigour, and ethical scholarship as the foundations of quality research.
The second keynote speaker, Dr Amjad Saleem, chairman of the Department of English and Modern Languages at Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur, presented“Research in Linguistics: Exploring Fresh Perspectives”.He encouraged emerging researchers to adopt interdisciplinary approaches and innovative linguistic methodologies to address the rapidly evolving academic landscape.
Addressing the participants,Prof. Muhammad Qasim, vice chancellor of the University of Swat, described the workshop as a timely initiative aligned with the university’s vision of strengthening research excellence and preparing graduates for an increasingly digital knowledge economy.
He also commended Dr Syed Hanif Rasool Kakakhel, chairman of the Department of English and Foreign Languages, for conceptualising and organising an academic forum that addresses global debates on artificial intelligence and the future of humanities research.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Kakakhel emphasised that universities must move beyond traditional classroom teaching to cultivate sustainable cultures of inquiry, dialogue, and collaborative research.
He noted that artificial intelligence should serve as an academic resource that complemented rather than replaced critical reasoning, originality and scholarly integrity.
The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion session, certificate distribution, and a renewed commitment by participating institutions to strengthen collaborative research, promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence and advance the humanities as a dynamic force in addressing contemporary societal challenges.
Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026
