As AI is rapidly reshaping higher education—transforming teaching, research, and administration – universities are grappling with questions around leadership, ethics, capability-building, and institutional strategy. But AI is prompting not only new governance challenges but also a reconsideration of the university’s societal mission, its relationship to technological development, and, as a site for critical inquiry, its responsibilities in shaping democratic and sustainable futures.
This symposium brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and sector leaders to critically examine how higher education institutions are — and ought to be —governing AI. We invite critical and empirical contributions that engage with the governance challenges AI presents at the institutional, national, and international levels.
Location: King’s College London, UK | Date: 17 September 2026
Submission Deadline: 03 July 2026
Themes of interest include (but are not limited to):
- The role and emergence of AI leadership positions (e.g., Chief AI Officers, AI leads)
- Institutional strategies for AI integration and transformation
- AI governance frameworks and policies
- Responsible AI and accountability
- Equity, inclusion and the ethics of AI
- Academic integrity and quality assurance
- AI and the future of teaching, learning, and assessment
- Research governance and AI
- Politics of refusal, AI and higher education
- AI and universities as sites of critique, refusal, and alternative technological futures
- Capacity-building, skills, and AI literacy across staff and students
- Inequalities, access, and global perspectives on AI in higher education
- Collaboration between universities, industry, and government
- Participation of students and staff in AI governance processes
- Trade union perspectives and workforce implications
- Student rights in AI-mediated educational environments
We invite abstracts of no more than 400 words for the following formats:
- Paper Presentations - Individual research papers presenting empirical findings, theoretical contributions, or policy analyses;
- Panel Proposals - Thematically coherent panels of 3–4 presenters. Panel organiser should submit a single proposal including all presenter details and a unifying rationale;
- Practitioner Case Studies - Accounts from institutional leaders or practitioners documenting governance interventions, policy design, or implementation challenges; and
- Poster Proposals.
All submissions should clearly outline the problem or focus, methodology (where applicable), and a clear statement of the contribution to the symposium's themes. Please submit your proposal via this link AILEAD – Fill out form
This symposium is jointly organised by the Circle U. Teaching Innovation Lab, Knowledge Hub on AI, and the Coimbra Group. Any questions, please e-mail jelena.dzakula@kcl.ac.uk
This symposium has emerged from the Circle U. supported seed funding project 'AI Leadership in Higher Education - AILEAD', led by Dr Jelena Dzakula-Fuller at King’s College London. Read more about this on our Seed Funded Projects page.
