From Compliance to Culture: Reconstructing Academic Integrity Education in Emerging Higher Education Systems in the Digital and AI Era

Abstract

In the context of rapid digital transformation and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), academic integrity has emerged as a systemic challenge for higher education, particularly in emerging systems. This paper argues that traditional compliance-based approaches–centered on detection and punishment–are increasingly inadequate for sustaining academic standards. Drawing on a systematic literature review and conceptual analysis, the study proposes a paradigm shift toward a culture-based approach in which academic integrity is internalized as a core value. The study integrates three theoretical strands–academic integrity, information and copyright literacy, and digital ethics–to develop an “academic integrity ecosystem” framework comprising four interconnected dimensions: policy, pedagogy, infrastructure, and culture. The findings highlight three key issues: the structural limitations of compliance-based models, the transformative impact of AI in blurring the boundaries of academic misconduct, and the emerging role of academic libraries as central actors in fostering ethical knowledge practices. The paper argues that academic libraries should be repositioned as institutional hubs that bridge policy and practice through the development of information literacy, ethical awareness, and responsible AI use. By shifting from behavioral control to value cultivation, the proposed framework offers both theoretical and practical implications for higher education systems seeking to build sustainable and adaptive academic environments in the digital and AI era