Education in the era of artificial intelligence from a cross-border perspective regarding student perceptions, meta-competences and institutional integration
Carmen Boghean, Daniela Mihaela Neamtu, Lucia Morosan-Danila, Florin Boghean, Claudia-Elena Grigoras-IchimPurpose
The accelerated transformations of the digital economy require a profound rethinking of higher education, especially in terms of preparing human capital for a future shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). The use of AI is no longer a peripheral technological option. Still, it has become a central vector in defining the skills required in the labour market, streamlining educational processes, and reshaping the relationship between learning and performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper aims to analyse, from a cross-border perspective, how AI is integrated into higher education in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The investigation examines the relationships among available educational resources, AI use, AI-related skills, meta-competencies, self-reported perceived academic performance and career intentions in an emerging digital context.
Findings
The study uses a convergent mixed-methods design, combining survey data from 678 students with 76 semi-structured interviews with university teachers. The findings show that AI adoption is shaped by the interaction between institutional resources, actual use, AI-related skills, meta-competencies and national context. Students from Romania and the Republic of Moldova reported more frequent and varied AI use than students from Ukraine, while the Ukrainian profile reflected a more cautious pattern shaped by risk perception and contextual constraints. The results also indicate that resources and institutional support matter mainly when they translate into concrete AI use and competence development.
Originality/value
The study contributes empirically and contextually to comparative research on educational technology adoption by showing that AI integration in higher education depends not only on technological acceptance, but also on institutional readiness, educational equity, digital access and responsible pedagogical governance.