The University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) has announced a collaboration with OpenAI to become an ‘AI-first’ campus, integrating generative artificial intelligence across its academic and administrative ecosystem.

The Dehradun-based university said that it will deploy ChatGPT Edu to provide institution-wide access to students, faculty and staff, with a focus on enhancing teaching, learning, research and the overall student experience.

Officials said that the initiative aims to position AI as core institutional infrastructure rather than an add-on tool, enabling personalised learning, real-time academic support and improved research capabilities. The rollout will include an AI tutor aligned with course curricula, tools designed to uphold academic integrity, and AI-enabled student services for administrative support.

The university will also introduce a responsible AI charter outlining acceptable use, privacy safeguards and data handling practices across campus.

Vice-Chancellor Sunil Rai said that the move reflects a shift towards making AI literacy a foundational component of higher education, with AI integrated into everyday academic processes.

Raghav Gupta, Head of Education for India and Asia-Pacific at OpenAI, said that the initiative aligns with the growing adoption of AI tools among students and is expected to strengthen job readiness in an AI-driven economy.

According to the university, the integration will help students build discipline-specific AI skills, while enabling faculty to reduce routine workloads and focus more on mentoring and research. It added that researchers will benefit from faster analysis and synthesis of information, while maintaining academic rigour.

The institution said that the initiative positions it among early adopters of large-scale AI integration in Indian higher education, as universities increasingly explore technology-driven learning models.