Keynote Speakers

Abstract

Debates about artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education are often polarised between technological optimism, alarmist concern about academic integrity, and pragmatic responses. While these perspectives highlight important issues, they frequently fail to address a more fundamental question: what is the purpose of a university education in an age of increasing automation? In my presentation I will argue that AI-related challenges expose the limitations of assessment- and efficiency-driven conceptions of higher education and invite renewed attention to its formative aims. Drawing on a neo-Aristotelian account of character education, I will proposes a model that prioritises the development of moral, civic, intellectual, and performative virtues as a human-centred response to AI-enabled disruption. By synthesising literatures on character education and AI in higher education, I will aim to demonstrate how a virtue-based framework can address concerns relating to integrity, agency, epistemic responsibility, civic formation amongst others. I will conclude the presentation by outlining practical implications for curriculum design and assessment, showing how universities and schools can respond to AI in ways that support both individual flourishing and the public good.

Bio

Professor Tom Harrison is Professor of Education, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Birmingham and has over three decades of experience across higher education, policy, and the voluntary sector. Professor Harrison is internationally recognised for his research on character education, virtue ethics, and the ethical challenges of digital life, including online behaviour, digital-wisdom, and emerging technologies such as AI and virtual reality. He has published extensively in leading journals and books, including THRIVE: How to Cultivate Character in the Digital Age, and has contributed to major international volumes on character development. He played a central role in developing the Jubilee Centre’s theoretical and practical approaches to character education, which has influenced education policy in the UK and internationally. He has partnered with and advised governments, ministries of education, NGOs and other organisations across Europe, US, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Professor Harrison is a National Teaching Fellow and HE Principal Fellow. Beyond academia, he is a co-founder of the Association for Character Education, European Character Virtues Association and the Global Character Association. He is also Deputy Chair of the Society for Educational Studies.

Abstract

This presentation will explore some of the potential ethical, legal, transparency and integrity considerations for using Generative-AI tools within research. It will examine this from the perspective of the researcher, identifying what they need to consider / do when using Generative-AI tools in their research to ensure they: (1)  Achieve good practice in this ever evolving area; (2)  Gain informed consent from participants to use the tools (if their research involves participants); (3)  Reflect on the potential future data sharing and reuse considerations (with regards to AI tools); and, (4)  Maintain research integrity.

Bio

Dr Scott Summers is an Associate Professor in Business Law at the University of East Anglia and a Principal Fellow of the Centre for Higher Education Research Practice Policy and Scholarship (CHERPPS), where he is the Chair of the UEA Gen-AI Light Touch Review Group, the NBS Ethics Committee, and leads the NBS Business Clinic. Scott also sits on – and provides guidance and advice to – the UK Data Archive's Information Security Management Group (ISMG), around data protection, AI, and other key legislation impacting on the Archive's operations. Scott was formerly a Senior Research Data Services Officer at the UK Data Service where he advised researchers on legal and ethical considerations around depositing and sharing their research data. Scott was heavily involved in the designing, drafting, and implementation of the UEA’s Generative AI Policy for Research and Innovation. His work within this policy has focused on ensuring an effective system was implemented that would enable the relevant legal, ethical, and regulatory considerations to be had with regards to the use of the tools in research projects, whilst balancing the need for researchers to be able to undertake their research unimpeded and maintain research integrity.