Centred around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the "UNESCO-ICHEI Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award", CLOUD Issue 8 shares 12 winning cases from the first Pioneer Award, presenting the efforts of HEIs from Pakistan, Egypt, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Mexico, Indonesia, Zambia, the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Morocco in promoting blended and digital teaching transformation. It also contains an overview of the White Paper on Higher Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, showcasing the best practice cases, cutting-edge research, and global insights from leading HEIs and experts.