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Student-Staff Partnership x AI Integration in Higher Education Seminar Series

Event Details

Date : 24 Sep (Thu), 9 Oct (Fri), 26 Oct (Mon), 10 Nov (Tue), 25 Nov (Wed) & 14 Dec (Mon) 2026

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Abstract

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the landscape of higher education, meaningful collaboration between students and staff has become more essential than ever. The SSPxAI Seminar Series aims to explore the synergies between student-staff partnership and AI integration in teaching and learning. Through this seminar series, speakers (including staff and their student partners) will share their experiences of experimentation and explore how collaborative approaches can enrich teaching, learning, and the broader educational experience within an AI-enhanced environment. They will also reflect on the essential knowledge, tools, and collaborative mindsets needed to navigate this evolving landscape.

The series welcomes anyone interested in exploring innovative pedagogical approaches that harness the potential of AI while fostering meaningful human collaboration in the learning process. Across the sessions, participants will engage with diverse perspectives on integrating AI tools into curriculum design, assessment practices, outside-classroom activities, and more. These discussions will be explored through a partnership lens that values the voices and contributions of both students, staff in shaping AI-enhanced learning experiences.

Following each presentation and Q&A session, a virtual Co-Creation Cafe hosted in breakout rooms will provide an informal space for participants to seek advice, exchange ideas, and continue the conversation. Partnership Advocates of the Community of Practice for Student Partnership (CoP-SP) will be available for consultation and support.

1:00pm - 1:05pm Introduction by facilitator
1:05pm -1:30pm Presentation
1:30pm - 1:40pm Q&A
1:40pm - 1:55pm Virtual Co-Creation Café
1:55pm - 2:00pm Wrap-up, evaluation and next session announcement
* This is an online interactive session where speakers will stay for 15 min in Zoom breakout rooms to meet individual participants for in-depth conversation or potential collaboration. CoP-SP members and Partnership Advocates will host other breakout rooms for general consultation, e.g., university policies and resources for SaP or use of AI tools in teaching and learning. Participants will be encouraged to continue the dialogue afterwards. Turn on screen reader support

Date : 24 Sep 2026 (Thu)

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Speakers :

  • Ms. Chin Yu Tso, Year 4 UG, Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU
  • Dr. Peter Fat Man Lau, Lecturer, TALIC, HKU

Abstract

The incorporation of AI into higher education has muddied assumptions about knowledge, expertise, and student–educator relationships. Its most underdiscussed consequence is affective: the vulnerability, self-doubt, and fear of failure that emerge when clear answers no longer exist. This session explores what becomes possible when uncertainty is approached as something students and staff navigate together. We examine how cultures of care and productive failure can reframe uncertainty, inspiring the development of our proposed Trio Model, which positions students, educators, and AI as partners in shared learning. Inspired by Cook-Sather’s (2025) notion of generative unknowingness, Brantmeier’s (2013) pedagogy of vulnerability, and Noddings’ (1988) ethic of caring, we reimagine uncertainty as possibility.

Intended Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify the principles, values, and pedagogical intervention underlying the Trio Model.
  2. Explore new ways of conceptualising and navigating uncertainty and failure in the age of AI.

About the Speakers

ProfileImg_ChinYuTso
Ms. Tso is a year 4 undergraduate student majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies and Comparative Literature at HKU. She’s passionate about empowering students, fostering student engagement, and driving positive change in higher education through student–staff partnerships. She is also the Student Partner and Core Project Member for Exploring GenAI Use in Teaching and Learning Enhancement through a Pedagogical Partnership Approach and Collaborative Showcase, UGC TDLEG-IICA (2025-2028 Triennium).
ProfileImg_Square_PeterLau
Dr. Peter Lau is a Lecturer at the Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre. He has a decade of teaching experience. As an advocate for Students as Partners (SaP), Peter works with colleagues and students in T&L projects on various topics, such as service-learning, team-based learning, academic integrity, creative drama, reflective portfolio, etc. Peter is the project leader of Exploring GenAI Use in Teaching and Learning Enhancement through a Pedagogical Partnership Approach and Collaborative Showcase, UGC TDLEG-IICA (2025-2028 Triennium). And he is also the program leader of University Climate Action Program, UGC TDLEG-IICA (2025-2028 Triennium)

Date : 9 Oct 2026 (Fri)

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Speaker :

Dr. Dimple R. Thadani, Senior Lecturer, Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems, HKBU

Student Partner(s): TBC

Details will be announced soon.

Abstract

TBC

Date : 26 Oct 2026 (Mon)

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Speaker :

Prof. Lukas Liu, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, HKU

Student Partner(s): TBC

Abstract

In the wake of generative AI, academic misuse often stems from a fundamental misalignment where instructors design tasks for learning, while students deploy AI to survive high-stakes assessments. In this talk, I will discuss this issue from the perspective of contextual differences in human-AI interaction and explore a pedagogical shift within a reading-intensive MEDD8935 Theories of Learning in STEM Education course that addresses this disconnect. By reframing the primary objective from textbook memorization to articulating a personal learning theory, the stakes of AI misuse are fundamentally altered. This talk will present an instructional design model course requirements feed directly into live, experience-driven classroom discourse, ensuring that even AI-assisted preparation can be grounded in concrete human experience during class.

Intended Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze how the structural misalignment between pedagogical goals and high-stakes assessment drives student AI misuse.
  2. Design collaborative, experience-driven assessment sequences that prioritize authentic knowledge construction over rote retention, thereby reducing the incentive for AI misuse.

Date : 10 Nov 2026 (Wed)

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Speakers :

Program leaders

  • Prof. Janet Chan, School of Biological Sciences, HKU
  • Mr. Vincent Leung, MSc in Environmental Management Graduate (2024), HKU

Students

  • Ms. Anvesha Bajpai, Year 4 UG, Faculty of Science, HKU
  • Ms. Gungun Jain, Year 2 UG, HKU Business School
  • Mr. Sam Bekemans, Year 2 TPg, MSc in Environmental Management, HKU

Abstract

ESG Podcast: From Classroom to Boardroom is a student-led ESG podcast supported by the HKU Climate Ambassador Program and funded by a Teaching Development Grant. Student partners from diverse faculties (Science, Arts, Engineering, Business, Medicine, and Social Science) take the lead as hosts, content researchers, scriptwriters, editors, and social media strategists while program leaders and coordinators provide academic oversight and industry connections.

AI tools are integrated across the production workflow—from AI-powered transcription and content summarisation to automated social media caption generation and distribution. This enhances efficiency while allowing students to focus on developing critical thinking, interviewing, and communicating professional knowledge to the general public. The podcast has produced seven episodes across ESG topics, including food waste (Part 1 & 2), ESG education in universities, ESG reporting and sustainable finance, green risk (Part 1 & 2), biodiversity finance, and sustainable governance, featuring academic and industry leaders. We will share practical insights, challenges, and evidence of student development from this ongoing project.

If you are interested in following our journey, please follow us on:
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hku_esgpodcast/
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-podcastt

Date : 25 Nov 2026 (Wed)

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Speaker :

Dr. Chun Kit Sam Hau, Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, CUHK

Student Partner(s): TBC

Abstract

Chemistry is far more than words and symbols in textbooks; it is deeply embedded in everyday life through the substances and reactions that shape our world. Yet many students perceive chemistry as intimidating and inaccessible. This challenge is particularly acute for learners navigating language barriers, such as those transitioning from non-English medium backgrounds into English medium academic environments. Adapting to new disciplinary knowledge and unfamiliar linguistic conventions can be time-consuming, frustrating, and demotivating, eroding confidence and engagement.

To address these challenges, this project proposes the development of gamified, flashcard-based e-learning materials powered by a Generative AI (GenAI) tutoring system. Grounded in a student partnership model, learners are positioned not merely as end users but as genuine co-creators throughout the project lifecycle. Their learning experiences and feedback shape the platform’s design, ensuring it is pedagogically sound and responsive to the learner community.

The platform will diagnose individual strengths and areas for development and provide targeted language scaffolding. By integrating adaptive practice with game-like elements, the tool aims to foster engagement, support diverse linguistic backgrounds, and promote self-regulated learning to improve conceptual understanding and outcomes in introductory chemistry and related science courses.

About the Speaker

ProfileImg_SamHau
Dr. Sam Hau holds a BSc with First Class Honours in Chemistry from Hong Kong Baptist University and a PhD in Organic Synthesis from CUHK. Following postdoctoral work in X-ray Crystallography, he joined CUHK as a lecturer in 2019, committed to developing innovative teaching and exploring AI integration in chemistry education.

Date : 14 Dec 2026 (Mon)

Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Online : Zoom

Speaker :

Prof. Lillian Luk, Assistant Professor, TALIC, HKU

Student Partner(s): TBC

Details will be announced soon.

Abstract

ESG Podcast: From Classroom to Boardroom is a student-led ESG podcast supported by the HKU Climate Ambassador Program and funded by a Teaching Development Grant. Student partners from diverse faculties (Science, Arts, Engineering, Business, Medicine, and Social Science) take the lead as hosts, content researchers, scriptwriters, editors, and social media strategists while program leaders and coordinators provide academic oversight and industry connections.

AI tools are integrated across the production workflow—from AI-powered transcription and content summarisation to automated social media caption generation and distribution. This enhances efficiency while allowing students to focus on developing critical thinking, interviewing, and communicating professional knowledge to the general public. The podcast has produced seven episodes across ESG topics, including food waste (Part 1 & 2), ESG education in universities, ESG reporting and sustainable finance, green risk (Part 1 & 2), biodiversity finance, and sustainable governance, featuring academic and industry leaders. We will share practical insights, challenges, and evidence of student development from this ongoing project.

If you are interested in following our journey, please follow us on:
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hku_esgpodcast/
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-podcastt

Acknowledgement

Trio Partnership

This seminar series is supported by an Inter-Institutional Collaborative Project in Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant (2025 – 2028 Triennium), Exploring GenAI use in teaching and learning enhancement through a pedagogical partnership approach and collaborative showcase, funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC).

The Lead Institution

The University of Hong Kong

Partner Institutions

Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia

Hong Kong Baptist University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University

Lund University

National University of Singapore

For information, please contact:

Ms. Jessie ZHENG

Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre

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