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Seminar

Finding the way – On generative AI use in doctoral research and education

Uncertainty and anxiety about the “right” way to use generative AI tools in research often lead to a desire for guidelines or rules.

How can we set up a productive discussion between doctoral students, supervisors and other researchers on appropriate use of these tools in a rapidly evolving context? Here to help us find our way through the maze of policies, technologies and anecdotes are Eva Åkesson and Rachel Forsyth, both from Lund University.

Anyone interested is welcome to a first seminar in the seminar series AI-proofed education. Please register by 28 April.

About

About the conversation

Balancing academic judgement and the desire for rules: the challenges of writing a GenAI policy for a large university.

Writing a GenAI policy for a large university with autonomous faculties highlights the tension between academic judgement and institutional demands for consistency. While educators value professional autonomy and the ability to interpret GenAI use within disciplinary norms, universities increasingly seek clear rules that minimise risk, ensure fairness, and provide clear information for students and staff.

This session describes our experiences of navigating these tensions to develop a GenAI use policy for Lund University. We will highlight the importance of transparency, trust, and dialogue in shaping expectations around GenAI, and explain our approach which focuses on enabling informed judgement supported by shared principles and sufficient AI literacy. It's still work in progress, and we hope to discuss with you how it can be developed and improved.

In conversation with

Eva Åkesson, Professor of Chemical Physics and Senior Advisor at Lund University

Eva Åkesson has held several senior academic leadership roles, including Vice Chancellor of Uppsala University and previously Vice Rector and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Lund University.

In her current advisory role, she worked with international rankings, quality assurance, and the university’s policy development for generative AI.

Rachel Forsyth, senior educational developer at Lund University

Rachel Forsyth works with pedagogical development, assessment design, and academic trust-building in higher education.

She is the author of Confident Assessment in Higher Education, a practical, theory informed guide for colleagues who design assessments and feedback systems, and co-author of GenAI in Higher Education: Redefining Teaching and Learning, an open access text that supports educators in navigating the opportunities and challenges of generative AI within university teaching and learning.

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