Digital Leadership and Agentic AI in Higher Education

The rapidly advancing digital transformation of higher education requires skilled digital leadership to manage complex technological and organisational changes. This advancement is presently being facilitated by the emergence of Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI). These advanced agents provide innovative educational opportunities by serving as proactive tutors, metacognitive coaches, and collaborative teaching assistants, capable of tailored learning experiences and reducing administrative responsibilities for educators. The incorporation of these highly autonomous AI presents significant pedagogical and ethical issues. This chapter incorporates these converging dynamics, suggesting that academic leaders must proactively coordinate balanced human-AI collaborations to enhance educational achievement while strictly preserving human agency, equity, and academic integrity.