Balancing regulation and innovation: the need for agile AI governance in higher education – a cross-country study

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates governance strategies that effectively balance regulation and innovation. This mixed-methods comparative study explores academic staff perceptions of AI governance and policy readiness across two distinct universities: MSKU in Türkiye, characterized by non-binding regulations, and CTU in Czechia, which follows the European Union’s rights-based regulatory model, a structured and binding framework. The study revealed significant discrepancies between current AI adoption and institutional policy. A thematic analysis identified key areas, including ‘Perceived Value and Ethical Concerns', ‘Institutional Readiness and Training Needs', and ‘Governance and Policy Gaps'. Quantitative findings, assessing agile governance dimensions, indicated that while CTU's structured environment supports practical AI integration, it may limit perceived adaptability. Conversely, MSKU's flexible context, despite perceived autonomy, showed lower scores in user-centeredness and transparency, suggesting a risk of fragmented practices without clearer institutional guidance. This study advances the concept of agile AI governance as a practical framework for universities navigating regulatory and innovation imperatives. Such a governance framework can enable institutions to proactively navigate AI's evolving landscape, ensuring both ethical responsibility and institutional legitimacy. This study contends that agility is crucial for public policy makers to integrate AI innovatively, ethically, and sustainably.