[Commlist] Call for Abstracts: Symposium on Leadership and Governance of AI in Higher Education

**
**
*Call for Abstracts: Symposium on Leadership and Governance of AI in 
Higher Education
/Location: King’s College London, UK | Date: 17 September 2026
Submission Deadline: 03 July 2026/*
We are inviting proposals for a one-day symposium on leadership and 
governance of AI in higher education. 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.

*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 <https://forms.office.com/e/aup6faRu1D>
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 /at/ kcl.ac).uk_ <mailto:(jelena.dzakula /at/ kcl.ac.uk)>




---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely. The commlist has no responsibility for any damage caused by its postings. Subscription to the list automatically implies agreement with this rule.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------