SAVE THE DATE | Conference “Building the AI-Ready University”, hosted by Queen’s University Belfast, October 2026 (precise dates TBC)

Queen’s University Belfast is hosting the Conference “Building the AI-Ready University: Tools, Systems, and Strategies for the Future“, in October 2026 (the precise dates will be confirmed asap).

About the conference

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, presenting both transformative opportunities and complex challenges such as the rise of digital technologies and robotics, multiple geopolitical crises, concerns around energy and the environment, and major shifts in the age-balance of populations. AI tools are not only driving change: they offer powerful ways to navigate it. Knowing what those tools can do and how to use them –  and what their limitations and risks are – will be key skills in the coming years. Deloitte (2025) observes that “AI is now a structural component in how work is organized,” even at this relatively early stage of implementation across many organizations.

Universities have played a key role in the thinking behind contemporary AI systems, for example in research on neural networks, probability, and deep learning. They are places of training for computer scientists to develop such tools, and of reflection on the nature of their artificial “intelligence”. However, the development and characteristics of AI tools are only part of the story. It is just as important to identify how, where, and in what ways to implement them. McKinsey’s “State of AI in 2025” notes that 90% of respondents reported use of AI in their organization, that over 60% were experimenting with AI agents, but that two-thirds had not begun to scale such AI usage. These findings point to a need for further education and training, reflected in the development of programmes in Applied AI at a number of universities. At the same time, as organizations in their own right, universities face similar questions to other institutions about where and how to implement AI at scale.

In order to be “AI ready,” universities face a unique spectrum of opportunities and challenges, because they serve at once as (i) sites for training and research in AI development; (ii) locations for training people to use AI; (iii) places where researchers and students use AI but where they are evaluated on the intelligence of their own work; and (iv) organizations where AI may be implemented into workflow. This distinctive intersection of activities certainly invites careful ethical reflection, as witnessed by the number of universities that have now adopted policies on AI use. It likewise invites exploration of the practical use and deployment of AI tools across the full range of a universities’ activities from education and research to administration and organization.

How can universities harness AI to prepare students, researchers, and institutions for the future? How can they adapt their practices to leverage AI’s potential while understanding its limitations?

This event will explore how to make our universities fully “AI ready”. Participants will bring diverse perspectives on what that involves, and on their own institutions’ experience of the challenges and opportunities ahead.

We anticipate discussions on key practical issues around the implementation of AI in a university setting such as:

• From classrooms to chatbots: How should we train students to use AI tools in their work? Beyond the question of academic integrity, what practical knowledge and experience do students – and their teachers – need to have? How should universities prepare students for a world in which they are likely to encounter and need to use AI tools/agents? Is it likely that we will use AI widely as teaching or assessment tools?
• Beyond the buzz – what AI tools really offer universities in 2026: There has been much talk about the potentially transformative effect of tools on organizations and institutions. At the same time, actual implementation to-date has been more patchy. What AI tools are available to universities in 2026 that could genuinely improve administrative processes and support student learning? What practical examples do we have from non-university organizations?
• Accelerated discovery – machine learning in research: Increasingly, researchers across all disciplines from history to medical science are using machine-learning to enhance their research. What tools are involved, and what is the best practice in supporting researchers to use them?
• Scholarly productivity – publication and grant-writing: LLM applications are demonstrably able to turn notes and evidence into draft articles and proposals. What is best practice in guiding researchers in the use of these tools? How can publishers and grant agencies protect against a deluge of productivity, or indeed “AI slop”?

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, presenting both transformative opportunities and complex challenges. AI tools are not only driving this change but also offering powerful ways to navigate it. This Conference invites participants to explore how universities can harness the potential of AI, going beyond skepticism and hesitation to engage critically, creatively, and responsibly with these technologies.

The 2 half-days programme will explore the topic from different angles, including the possible application in the context of research and scholarly productivity.

More details on the programme and registration coming soon!

Preliminary schedule (still subject to slight changes)

DAY 1	DAY 2
12h00 – 13h00: Welcome Lunch	8h00 – 8h30: Welcome Coffee
Afternoon: Session 1 | From Chalkboards to Chatbots: AI in Modern Higher Education Session 2 | Beyond the Buzz: What AI Tools Really Offer Universities in 2026	Morning: Session 3 | AI-Powered Research Session 4 | AI for Scholarly Productivity: Publication and Grant-Writing
Evening: Tour of QUB + Networking Dinner	12h30 – 13h30: Farewell Lunch