Delving deeper into AI in Higher Education – UFH Teaching & Learning Week 2024 Conference

Submitted by Aretha Linden on Wed, 11/09/2024 - 11:29
Read time: 2 mins

The discourse on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and higher education continued to intensify as we entered day three of the University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) Teaching & Learning Week today. The programme began with a compelling keynote by Dr Coenie Middel, President of the FORTH Innovation Institute. His address examined the transformative effects of AI on curriculum design and development.

Following Dr Middel’s keynote, a panel discussion featured Prof Kibbie Naidoo, Director of the Centre for Academic Staff Development; Prof Monwabisi Ralarala, Dean of Arts and Humanities at the University of the Western Cape; and Mr Cebo Nyondo, Deputy Director of eLearning at the Mangosuthu University of Technology. The panel engaged in a stimulating dialogue on AI’s role in advancing academic development.

The day will continue with breakaway sessions that will delve even deeper into the ethical considerations surrounding AI, its integration into curriculum design, and its impact on academic support.

The conference, which is being held at the East London ICC from September 9-12, has been focused on the potential and challenges of AI in academia. It began with an Indaba featuring Prof Mzukisi Njotini, UFH Dean of Law, who provided a legal perspective on AI, followed by Mr Ayanda Ngcebetsha from Microsoft, who covered the fundamentals of AI, and Mr Neil Kramm from Rhodes University, who discussed AI's basic concepts.

The Indaba also included a panel discussion with UFH Deputy Deans and SRC representatives, examining AI’s role across various academic disciplines. This was complemented by insights from Mr William Smale and an industry experts panel on AI’s implications for UFH.

Day two saw Prof Renuka Vithal, DVC for Teaching and Learning, deliver opening and welcoming remarks, with an address by Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, the Vice Chancellor of UFH.

Prof Elizabeth Archer from the University of the Western Cape provided a keynote on AI’s impact on teaching, learning, and research. The day also featured parallel sessions on AI’s role in academic support, graduate employability, and research, as well as a second keynote by Mr Ngcebetsha on AI’s contribution to fostering graduate employability and entrepreneurship.