Circle U. has selected eleven projects for its 2025 seed-funding round, supporting new academic, professional and student-led initiatives across the alliance. The funded proposals reflect the alliance’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, sustainability, inclusion and long-term cooperation among its member universities. Each month, we spotlight one of these projects.
Shaping the future of AI leadership in higher education
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming higher education at an unprecedented pace. Beyond its impact on teaching and research, it is changing how universities make strategic decisions, develop policies and ensure the responsible use of emerging technologies.
The seed-funded project AILEAD – AI Leadership in Higher Education, led by Dr Jelena Dzakula-Fuller (King's College London), responds to this evolving landscape by bringing together institutions to strengthen AI governance across Europe. As more universities establish dedicated AI leadership roles, the project aims to better understand how these positions are developing and to encourage greater collaboration between those leading this work.
AILEAD will map emerging AI leadership practices and establish a joint AI Leadership Network connecting two major European university alliances: Circle U. and the Coimbra Group. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the project seeks to support more coherent and responsible approaches to AI governance across the higher education sector.
In this article, Dr Jelena Dzakula-Fuller explains why the initiative is both timely and important.
Why does your research project matter?
As Generative AI is advancing faster than institutional policy frameworks, universities face many pressures including expectations from students and staff. Without coordinated leadership, responses remain fragmented. This project ensures universities are not only adopting AI, but governing it strategically, ethically, and collaboratively in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
By building shared evidence-based on AI leadership, we hope to help institutions shift from reactive experimentation to strategic governance.
Jelena Dzakula-Fuller, project leader (KCL)
By fostering collaboration among AI leaders, researchers, and students across Circle U. and the Coimbra Group, it strengthens knowledge exchange and accelerates responsible AI adoption through tested practices in ethics, compliance, curriculum innovation, and AI literacy. By creating direct channels between academic findings and institutional decision-makers, we are enhancing research impact. It also aims at increasing professional recognition and clarity around AI leadership roles.
What will you achieve within the project this year?
King’s College London will host an AI Leadership Summit on 3–4 September, bringing together university leaders, AI leads, researchers, and students for an engaging two-day event. The summit will serve as the launch platform for our new network, designed to make collaboration on AI governance and leadership sustainable, structured, and impactful across higher education institutions.
The event will foster discussion, share insights, and highlight best practices in AI adoption, ethics, and strategic leadership. Participants will explore how universities can navigate the fast-evolving AI landscape while maintaining academic integrity and operational excellence.
Later this year, we will publish a report on AI leadership, presenting key challenges and showcasing successful case studies from institutions leading the way in responsible, innovative AI adoption.
