AI-Enabled Digital Governance in Chinese Universities: Policy Evolution, Implementation Pathways, and Future Directions

Driven by the dual impetus of the Digital China strategy and the transformation of educational digitalization, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a core enabling element for upgrading the governance system of Chinese universities. As a key carrier of the modernization of educational governance, the transformation of university digital governance is deeply aligned with national policy orientations and the inherent development needs of universities. This study focuses on the field of digital governance in Chinese universities, systematically sorting out the evolutionary context of digital governance policies from "infrastructure construction" to "intelligent integrated application", and analyzing the current characteristics and practical bottlenecks of smart campus construction in terms of technology implementation, data connectivity, and service adaptation. Focusing on three core governance scenarios—academic affairs management, human resources management, and financial management—this paper explores the specific application paths of AI technology in process optimization, precise decision-making, and efficiency improvement, including practical directions such as intelligent class scheduling, academic performance analysis, talent profile construction, and intelligent budget control. This study contributes to the literature by providing a policy-based analytical framework and scenario-oriented application pathways for AI-enabled governance transformation in higher education.