A Shared Conversation: Exploring AI in Higher Education

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in education, universities are navigating its impact on teaching, learning, and administration. Three Eaquals member institutions, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University (FSMVU), MEF University School of Foreign Languages (SoFL), and Özyeğin University’s School of Languages (ScOLa), collaborated to co-host a two-day event titled “Standardising AI in Higher Education.” The event was supported by the Eaquals Member Event Fund.

Held at FSMVU in Istanbul, the event welcomed 161 attendees from 38 universities, along with representatives from publishing houses and educational organisations. Its aim was to explore ethical, pedagogical, and

 institutional approaches to using AI in higher education.

The programme included 16 expert speakers and offered a mix of plenary talks, parallel sessions, and workshops. In addition, five committee tracks focused on key themes:

• Academic Integrity

• Student AI Use in and Beyond the Class

• Teacher Support & AI Literacy

• AI in Administrative Tasks & Data Protection

• AI in Curriculum Design & Material Development

Each committee explored current practices, institutional challenges, and areas for development. Their findings were summarised into a draft report structured around three key areas: institutional challenges, common practices, and future policy suggestions.

One key output was a draft roadmap booklet, titled “Roadmap to AI Integration in Higher Education.” It offers a practical overview of institutional experiences and provides guidance for responsible and balanced implementation.

Further details are available on the event’s official page here.

The event sparked meaningful discussion and built connections between institutions. It also reinforced a collective commitment to ethical and effective AI integration, aligning with broader principles of quality and integrity in language education.