UPES adopts ChatGPT Edu for campus-wide AI rollout
UPES has partnered with OpenAI to roll out ChatGPT Edu across its campus in a move aimed at making the university an AI-first institution.
The Dehradun-based university will give all students, faculty and staff access to the tool as it integrates generative AI into teaching, research and student services.
Under the arrangement, UPES plans to build a range of services around OpenAI's product, including an AI tutor aligned with programmes and semesters, multilingual learning support, and student service functions that guide users through university processes and route cases to staff when needed.
It also plans to introduce a responsible AI charter covering acceptable use, privacy and data handling, alongside access to research-focused models for students and faculty.
Campus rollout
ChatGPT Edu is OpenAI's version of ChatGPT for universities and includes administrative controls for institution-wide deployment. At UPES, it is intended to become part of the university's academic and service infrastructure rather than remain limited to pilots or individual departments.
The rollout is designed to make AI use consistent across campus while giving all users access instead of limiting the tools to selected groups. The university said the model would be governed and measurable, with a focus on daily use in academic work and support services.
For students, the system is expected to provide real-time help, feedback and translation. Learners will also be trained to use AI within their subject areas so they develop practical familiarity with the technology during their courses.
For faculty, the intended use includes reducing time spent on routine tasks and freeing up more time for teaching, mentoring and discussion. In research, AI is expected to help users review literature, organise information and support analysis, while academic judgement remains with researchers.
India focus
The agreement also reflects OpenAI's broader push into education in India and the Asia-Pacific region, where universities are exploring how to adopt generative AI within existing academic rules and governance structures.
"We are excited to be one of the pioneering Indian universities to commit to a governed, campus-wide GenAI deployment at this scale-treating AI as core academic and service infrastructure, not a series of experiments. We are purposefully architecting an AI-first university where AI is woven into the very fabric of learning, teaching, research, and student life. AI literacy will be the default foundation for every student, every faculty member, and every campus process from day one," said Dr. Sunil Rai, Vice Chancellor, UPES.
OpenAI said demand for AI tools among students in India is already significant, and universities are increasingly shifting from occasional use to more regular integration into learning.
"India already has the largest student community on ChatGPT. As the depth with which AI tools are used evolves, they will become integrated into everyday learning. This effort by UPES leans into that and will make AI a core part of the academic experience, in turn shaping job readiness in an AI-driven world," said Gupta.
Wider context
The rollout comes as higher education institutions face growing questions about how to use generative AI in ways that support learning while protecting academic integrity. Universities have been testing approaches that combine broader access to tools with clearer rules on what students may and may not do in assessed work.
One part of UPES's plan focuses on "assessment-proof" learning approaches designed to help students demonstrate genuine understanding even when AI is used. This points to a broader shift in universities towards redesigning coursework and assessment methods rather than relying only on restrictions.
UPES is a private university established under the UPES Act of Uttarakhand. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across seven schools, including engineering, computer science, law, business, design, health sciences and liberal studies. Its community includes more than 19,100 students, over 1,500 faculty and staff, and more than 40,000 alumni.
According to figures cited by the university, it ranked 45 among universities in India in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2025 and was placed in the 501-600 band globally in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, with a research quality ranking of 299 worldwide.
The OpenAI deployment will be available free of charge to all students, faculty and staff.