The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) presents significant opportunities to transform the higher education sector through new forms of institutional collaboration and decision-making practices. Universities and academic organisations should take the lead in adopting GenAI technologies in both teaching and institutional management. Emerging technologies can help shape the future of higher education by personalising learning, enhancing human capabilities, and strengthening international connections in the classroom and within institutional operations.

However, the ongoing development of GenAI introduces significant challenges for educators, researchers, and policymakers alike, particularly its ethical application and potential for sustainable solutions, cultural diversity support, and institutional preparedness and acceptance. In this Forum session, we will bring together educational practitioners, researchers, and academic leaders to analyse GenAI’s possibilities and obstacles for supporting instructional practices and strategic decision-making, with a particular focus on the evolving educational setting. Participants are called to consider institutional case studies alongside present challenges they themselves are experiencing, and future possibilities to understand how GenAI applications can benefit higher education

Biographies

Eric Hawkinson

Dr Eric Hawkinson is a self-described ‘learning futurist’ and Professor at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan, where he teaches courses on issues related to technology and touring. Known for his creative approach to immersive education, Professor Hawkinson designs experiences where digital and physical learning merge, such as augmented reality art exhibitions, mixed reality games, and virtual field trips. As founder of the educational AR platforms Together Learning and Reality Labo, and chair of the World Immersive Learning Labs Symposium, his work blends curiosity, research, and play to rethink what education can be. Professor Hawkinson is an Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified Innovator, and a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert. He has published over 50 papers and delivered more than 150 talks worldwide, from TEDx to SXSW. His current research focuses on immersive learning, digital ethics, and automation in education, most recently exploring the concept of the ‘automation abyss’ and the shifting role of educators in AI-driven systems. Visit erichawkinson.com for a full listing of Professor Hawkinson’s active projects, research, and publications.

Melina Neophytou

Dr Melina Neophytou is the Academic Operations Manager at IAFOR, where she works closely with academics, keynote speakers, and IAFOR partners to shape academic discussions within The Forum, bring conference programmes together, refine scholarship programmes, and build an interdisciplinary and international community. She is leading various projects within IAFOR, notably The Forum discussions and the authoring of Conference Reports and Intelligence Briefings, and she oversees the Global Fellows Programme.

Born in Germany and raised in Cyprus, Dr Neophytou received her PhD in International Development from Nagoya University, Japan, in 2023, specialising in political sociology, the welfare state, and contentious politics. She received an MA in International Development from Nagoya University, with a focus on Governance & Law, and a BA in European Studies from the University of Cyprus, Cyprus.

Dr Neophytou’s research interests currently focus on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the relationship between state and society. Her current work examines technologies such as facial recognition (FRT) and biometric surveillance, and how these tools impact freedom of expression, protest, and social policy

About the Presenter(s)
-Dr Eric Hawkinson is a self-described ‘learning futurist’ and Professor at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan, where he teaches courses on issues related to technology and touring.
-Dr Melina Neophytou is the Academic Operations Manager at IAFOR, where she works closely with academics, keynote speakers, and IAFOR partners to shape academic discussions within The Forum, bring conference programmes together, refine scholarship programmes, and build an interdisciplinary and international community.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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