Vijayawada: In a major education reform initiative, the state is set to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum from the high school level and establish a dedicated AI university, minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh announced on Wednesday.

Speaking at an education roundtable hosted by the Queensland Trade and Investment Centre in Australia, Lokesh said the initiative aims to prepare students for the global technology-driven future.

“We are introducing AI curricula from high school to align our youth with global technological shifts,” he said, adding that AI, STEM, and robotics labs would be set up across the State to build early technological proficiency.

Lokesh said that AI is also being integrated into governance, education and healthcare sectors to enhance service delivery and efficiency. “Our vision is to make Andhra Pradesh a leader in education reforms by connecting school learning, higher education, and industry through technology,” he noted.

The roundtable was attended by University of Queensland deputy vice-chancellor Mark Harvey, Queensland Global Investment Commissioner Michael Matthews, and representatives from leading Australian universities including James Cook University and University of Southern Queensland.

Later, Lokesh met Griffith University vice-president (Global) Marnie Watson at the university’s Gold Coast campus to discuss academic collaboration and sports education infrastructure. Griffith University, one of Australia’s top public universities, is set to open a new campus in Brisbane’s CBD in 2027 and already partners with IIT Roorkee in India.

Lokesh proposed establishing a Griffith University India Centre in Andhra Pradesh to promote joint research, student exchange, and academic partnerships in fields such as public policy, sustainability, innovation, renewable energy and water management.

He also suggested exploring dual-degree and twinning programmes with institutions like SRM–AP, Andhra University, and VIT–AP, in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) for skill certification and curriculum development.

The minister invited Griffith University to participate in the upcoming Partnership Summit 2025 and the Andhra Pradesh Global Education Forum scheduled for November 14–15 in Visakhapatnam and to collaborate with the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to support innovation and startups.

During his visit, the minister also held discussions with Populous senior principal architect Shaun Gallagher and Asia Pacific business development head Elizabeth DeSilva.

Populous, renowned for designing iconic stadiums such as the Sardar Patel Stadium (Ahmedabad), London Olympic Stadium, and SoFi Stadium (California), is currently working with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on major infrastructure projects in India.