Artificial intelligence in higher education

What role should artificial intelligence play in higher education? From ChatGPT to DeepSeek, generative AI (GenAI) tools of all kinds are forcing a rethink of university teaching, assessment, research and administrative work. Find out how to build AI literacy across an institution, use GenAI to support learning, harness AI tools as teaching and research assistants and manage the risks posed by GenAI and other AI technologies.

A researcher reading a pile of books next to a robot with a trolley of more books

GenAI as a research assistant

GenAI is reshaping research, from accelerating discovery to easing administrative burdens. Discover practical guidance on how researchers can use these tools effectively and ethically

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Ethical AI: safeguards for the research revolution

Artificial intelligence can accelerate discovery in ways humans alone cannot. For Hongliang Xin, the key is pairing AI’s power with ethical safeguards, institutional governance and responsible oversight

Hongliang Xin

Virginia Tech

A hand sketching prototype designs amongst rulers and other tools

Teaching design in 3D: blending sketching, AI and AR

GenAI can do more than generate images – it can spark design students’ ability to imagine objects and spaces in 3D. Here’s how

Lesly Pliego , Fernanda Peña, Antonio Juárez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A student writing an essay by hand in a library

From shortcut to support: GenAI’s role in essay-writing

A guide to moving beyond panic and prohibition, showing how educators can set clear, evidence-informed boundaries that turn GenAI from an essay-writing shortcut into a meaningful learning support

Luis Moisés López Flores

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A male student working on his laptop in the library

When GenAI makes answers cheap, assessment must value judgement

Generative AI has not broken assessment; it has exposed its weaknesses. Moving beyond bans and blind adoption requires redesigning assessment to reclaim pedagogical agency and make student judgement visible

Kisito F. Nzembayie

Trinity College Dublin

AI and human collaboration concept illustration

Harnessing AI to expand scientific discovery

From drug design to climate modelling, artificial intelligence can process data at scales far beyond human capacity. Hongliang Xin argues that the future of research lies in harnessing agentic AI through human-guided discovery

Hongliang Xin

Virginia Tech

From model collapse to citation collapse: risks of over-reliance on AI in the academy

The way GenAI surfaces sources for literature reviews risks exacerbating the citation Matthew effect, writes David Joyner. Here, he offers ways to prevent AI-driven search from blunting the impact of new research

David Joyner

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A conductor gestures with a baton against a black blackground

Be the conductor of your own GenAI orchestra for academic writing

Instead of using a single GenAI tool to create a one-note research paper, why not tune up an orchestra of machine assistants?

Aditi Jhaveri

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Beyond search: how AI agents are redefining research

AI-augmented research can speed up processes such as literature review and data synthesis. Here, Ali Shiri looks at functionality of three AI agents

Ali Shiri

University of Alberta

How I use AI tools to enhance EFL students’ speaking skills

AI tools can help students of English as a foreign language build confidence in academic speaking by offering structured practice opportunities, personalised feedback and support with idea generation. Ka Ho To explains how

Ka Ho To

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Let’s teach students to see the fingerprints

Does humanities education still have value when machines can generate art at the touch of a button? Yes, if we reframe our thinking, writes Renia Lopez-Ozieblo

Renia Lopez-Ozieblo

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Female Asian college student writing in library on a laptop

‘Students don’t have to prove authorship of every word, they show their supervision of AI tools’

When all students are required to use generative AI for every assignment, their practice can be more rigorous, transparent and deeply reflective. Here, Tiatemsu Longkumer explains a rubric

Tiatemsu Longkumer

Royal Thimphu College

How Carmen and the humanities can embed the skills GenAI can’t

A cultural programme centred on the opera Carmen lit a flame of engagement in students. Here’s how the humanities reach parts of the human psyche that GenAI could never touch

Renia Lopez-Ozieblo

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A teacher works with students on GenAI literacy

How to evolve with GenAI: an educator’s guide

The launch of GenAI has prompted a new stage of experimentation for university education. Here’s how to explore and refine, finding out what works and what doesn’t

Lin Yue

Adelaide University

Four common arguments for acknowledging AI use (and why they are wrong)

Educators may want AI to be used well or to go away entirely, write Chloe Salisbury and Luke Zaphir. Here, they take on a central piece of AI lore and offer ways forward

Chloe Salisbury, Luke Zaphir

The University of Queensland

Three students working together in a library

How to reclaim humanity in the AI classroom

As GenAI changes how students study and complete assessments, higher education educators must focus on metacognition, clarity and connection, says Patrice Seuwou

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

Students work together around a desktop computer

Two ways to embed transferable skills in university teaching

Students need the skills to thrive in an uncertain job market. Positioning GenAI as a study buddy and student-led business clinics can help develop them

Mark Elliot, James Moran, Venetia Tzanni

University of Westminster

Computer-generated 3D illustration of Titanic liner

In a world of short attention spans, the best story wins

When students become storytellers, rather than passive recipients of knowledge, learning is more memorable. And a little help from GenAI can get them started

Natalie Cummins

University of Technology Sydney

A robot in a mortarboard poses with a diploma

A university blueprint for teaching with GenAI

How a human-centred approach to embedding GenAI ensures the tool enhances human reasoning, rather than replacing it, institution-wide

Abderrahim Agnaou

Al Akhawayn University

How can we embed Global South perspectives in GenAI teaching?

GenAI can accelerate learning, but if we aren’t careful, it can also reinforce colonial assumptions. Jasmine Mohsen explains how to avoid this

Jasmine Mohsen

SP Jain London School of Management

Assessment needs to grow up: what process and imperfection mean for higher education

Rather than railing against AI, educators could see this moment as an overdue correction and redesign assessment around what matters: the process by which humans think, revise and learn

Pontus Wärnestål

Halmstad University

A student giving a presentation in front of other students

AI tools that strengthen students’ communication skills

AI can help students reflect, practise and improve the skills employers really value, from writing clearly to speaking confidently and working effectively in teams

Nelly Ramirez Vásquez , Gabriela Espínola Carballo, Carla Camacho

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Male Asian student working on a robot arm

GenAI as a research assistant: transforming start-up due diligence

Universities are not just centres of innovation, they are also platforms for promoting the commercialisation of research. As ‘research assistants’, GenAI can open the door for ‘under the radar’ start-ups that human evaluators may miss

Tiam Lin Sze

Singapore Management University

Use GenAI as your personal learner engagement analytics expert

Harness the student data in your virtual learning environment with a few choice prompts for GenAI

Stephen Buckingham

Queen Mary University of London

University students sitting at their desks

Why clear GenAI guidance matters to neurodivergent students. And how to get it right

Neurodivergent students often experience heightened anxiety when GenAI expectations vary across courses. Here’s how to design more consistent guidance

Jayne Quoiani

The University of Edinburgh

Campus talks: why teaching with artificial intelligence is ‘like a giant field experiment’

THE Award-winning educationalist Jenny Moffett talks about using AI so it supports learning rather than risks deskilling students, dealing with uncertainty in the classroom and the value of boredom

Jenny Moffett

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Not faster but fairer: tame ‘techno-solutionism’ to build inclusive futures with AI

University leaders and academics must resist an open-armed embrace of AI and ask tough questions about who, really, is benefitting from its use in order to shape an inclusive future, writes Chie Adachi

Chie Adachi

Queen Mary University of London

Teaching responsible use of GenAI in graduate studies

When graduate students learn to use AI transparently, to seek approvals, respect Indigenous consent and critically assess outputs, they develop skills essential for both academic success and professional practice

Katerina Standish

University of Northern British Columbia

Students use their laptops in class, looking focused

‘GenAI and critical thinking can – and should – work together’ 

Find out how to encourage critical thinking in the university classroom by working with GenAI tools, rather than against them 

Joel Davis, Jane Southworth, Kati Migliaccio

University of Florida

A student leaping from the exam hall into the real world

The evolution of authentic assessment in higher education

Practical advice on assessing students’ skills and application of learning in real-world, professional contexts

Campus contributors

Campus

THE Awards 2025: lessons from the stars of UK and Irish higher education

Learn from leading voices, innovative teams and individuals across the university sector, whose work has been recognised in the shortlist for this year’s Times Higher Education Awards

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Use GenAI to slow down and reflect more deeply

University staff are under pressure to produce more with less. But what if, instead of using GenAI to save time, we took a slower approach?

Sam Illingworth

Edinburgh Napier University

What happened to creativity in the classroom?

When generative AI leads 150 students to submit the same ‘creative’ work, something is afoot in arts and humanities education. Here, Leah Henrickson and Luke Zaphir turn insights from cognitive science into ways to use AI to boost students’ creativity

Leah Henrickson, Luke Zaphir

The University of Queensland

An illustration of an AI with glasses, reading a book

Librarians, it’s time to lead the way

When GenAI first landed, many universities scrambled to understand it and how students might be using it. One library team took it upon themselves to adopt a holistic approach

Chris Porter

Birmingham Newman University

AI as an access tool for neurodiverse and international staff

Used transparently and ethically, GenAI can level the playing field and lower the cognitive load of repetitive tasks for admin staff, student support and teachers

Vanessa Mar-Molinero

University of Southampton

An illustration of a businessman attempting to hit three targets with one bow

Why range may be a crucial skill for the employees of the future

Students today will be treading a career path that doesn’t exist yet. Here’s how to encourage them to develop the agility and resilience they’ll need for an uncertain world

Yılmaz Köylü

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Beyond learning design: supporting pedagogical innovation in response to AI

To avoid an unwinnable game of catch-up with technology, universities must rethink pedagogical improvement that goes beyond scaling online learning

Charlotte von Essen

Stockholm School of Economics

A university student taking notes by her laptop

AI for feedback: what to keep in mind when developing your own tool

Building an AI tool in-house allows institutions to retain control in a landscape increasingly dominated by external solutions. Here’s how to involve students, uphold ethical standards and navigate resistance

Isabel Fischer , Sean Enderby, Ross Hunter

The University of Warwick

Students working on a project together in class

How to test GenAI’s impact on learning

Rather than speculate on GenAI’s promise or peril, Thibault Schrepel suggests simple teaching experiments to uncover its actual effects

Thibault Schrepel

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Head made of cogs and jigsaw puzzle piece

Assessment tasks that support human skills

Assignments that focus on exploration, analysis and authenticity offer a road map for university assessment that incorporates AI while retaining its rigour and human elements

Amir Ghapanchi, Afrooz Purarjomandlangrudi

Victoria University

What your students are thinking about artificial intelligence

GenAI has been quickly adopted by students, but the consequences of using it as a shortcut could be grave. A study into how students think about and use GenAI offers insights into how teaching might adapt

Florencia Moore, Agostina Arbia

Universidad Austral

The creaking career ladder is now a bungee jump – prepare your students for a multi-career world

Generation Z want more variety, flexibility and faster development from their careers. It’s up to universities to equip them with the skills for the new career landscape

Deborah Bartlett

Al Akhawayn University

How to harness AI for student support: a human-centred approach

Drawing on the creation of a virtual assistant for her MBA students, Zemin Chen shares lessons for educators seeking to introduce GenAI into the classroom

Zemin Chen

University of Lancashire

Beyond the nine to five: preparing students as digital entrepreneurs

As AI and digital business reshape the world of work, universities must rethink traditional assessments and equip students with creativity, resilience and entrepreneurial skills for the new economy

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

Turn AI from a magic box into a tool to be interrogated

Instead of ‘ban it or embrace it’, the AI Collaboration Toolkit offers a way for educators to frame AI as a collaborator, with ethical guard rails built in and an emphasis on the student’s thinking. Here’s how it works

Lucy Gill-Simmen, Will Shüler

Royal Holloway, University of London

A suited man and a robot face off in boxing gloves

Help your graduates beat AI in the job market by building transferable skills

Artificial intelligence is always going to have the edge when it comes to knowledge, so prepare students to become well-rounded employees. Find out how to equip them with transferable skills

Aliasgar Shahiwala, Rahma Nasir Iqbal

Dubai Medical University

How AI can drive tailored learning

GenAI should be implemented in a way that enhances business students’ problem-solving skills without eroding the human element of learning, writes Andreas Rausch

Andreas Rausch

University of Mannheim

Illustration of figures looking at barrier and arrow

The craft and politics of academic writing in the AI universe

Writing lecturers will not reach students by simply talking down artificial intelligence. A more effective approach involves embracing our expertise and engaging in the politics of resistance, says Jane Bottomley

Jane Bottomley

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

A young woman puts a hand to her head while working at an office

Do your students know the consequences of AI use on an internship programme?

Students are using GenAI tools in their university work, but what about in the workplace? Are they unknowingly putting their employers at risk? Here’s how to prevent a potential data breach

Bonnie Dean, Kelli Nicola-Richmond, Joanna Tai, Jack Walton

University of Wollongong, Deakin University

Why AI literacy must come before policy

When developing rules and guidelines around the uses of artificial intelligence, the first question to ask is whether the university policymakers and staff responsible for implementing them truly understand how learners can meet the expectations they set

Kathryn MacCallum, David Parsons

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

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