The BUPT-QMUL Teaching and Learning Centre (JTLC) hosted its annual flagship conference on the 25th of June 2024, themed “Generative AI in the Transnational Education Landscape”, at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT).
The event brought together over 100 academics and education professionals from QMUL, BUPT, the British Council, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and our partner universities, to discuss the transformative role of generative AI in education.The conference began with welcoming addresses from Prof Sun Hongxiang, Vice President of BUPT, and Prof Wen Wang, Vice Principal and Executive Dean for Science and Engineering at QMUL. Prof Yue Chen, Senior Advisor of TNE at QMUL-BUPT, delivered the conference opening remarks.
The first session commenced with a keynote speech by Toni Allen, Chief Engagement & Growth Officer at IET. Allen's presentation, "Working to Engineer a Better AI World," highlighted the pivotal role of AI in engineering advancements. This was followed by an interactive workshop on “Generative AI for Empowering Academic Innovation and Pedagogy” led by Dr Vindya Wijeratne from QMUL and a presentation and demonstration of the "BUPT MashOn - Intelligent Teaching & Learning Platform Empowered by LLM" by Prof Xu Tong from BUPT.
Session 2 delved into the implications of AI on English language teaching. Dr Chen Li, Senior Academic Manager at the British Council, delivered a keynote speech on “The Future of English Language Teaching in the Age of AI.” A subsequent panel discussion explored the broader impacts of GenAI on teaching, learning, and inclusivity in transnational education. The panel is chaired by Dr Maria Romero-Gonzalez from Queen Mary Engineering School at Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), and featured experts like Prof Giulia de Falco from QM-Nanchang Joint Programme, Prof Zheng Chunping and Dr Xu Ke from BUPT.
The final session included a presentation on "GenAI for Assessment in a TNE Context" by Dr Jesus Requena Carrion, from Queen Mary School Hainan, and an interactive workshop led by Dr Wasim Ahmad from the University of Glasgow, discussing the opportunities and challenges of integrating GenAI tools in educational assessments.
The conference ended with closing speeches by Prof Guo Li, Dean of the International School, and Prof Michael Chai, QM Director of JP and Executive Vice Dean of Queen Mary School with BUPT. Their remarks encapsulated the day's discussions and emphasised the critical role of collaboration in advancing educational technologies. The JTLC committee jointly organised the conference, with the International School of BUPT and the Staff Development Centre of BUPT. The conference was chaired by Dr Ling Ma, Director of JTLC.
The JTLC Teaching and Learning Conference 2024 successfully highlighted the potential of generative AI to revolutionise education, fostering a global dialogue on innovative practices and future trends in the field. As AI continues to evolve, such gatherings will be essential in shaping the future of transnational education and beyond.
Watch the video highlight of the conference:
For more details, visit the conference homepage here.