On Thursday, March 27, more than 150 teachers, students and support staff gathered in the Forum Hall for EdUconnect 2025, the annual conference on educational innovation organised by the Community for Learning & Innovation (CLI).
This year's theme was ‘Navigating AI in Education’. Two years after the launch of ChatGPT, generative AI has become an integral part of many people's daily lives. Generative AI is also impacting education at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). How do you navigate the complex and constantly changing world of AI in this context? During EdUconnect 2025, guests were given practical tools and insights to help them find their way.
Opening and Keynote Presentations
EdUconnect 2025 was opened with a short, virtual presentation by our Rector Magnificus, prof.dr.ir. Jantine Schuit. In her speech, she stressed the importance of experimenting with AI, but in a responsible way. CLI Academic Lead prof.dr. Jason Pridmore then discussed the impact of AI on the student journey during studies at EUR, as well as after graduation, and emphasised that we need to navigate these changes together.
Interactive Panel: Navigating AI Controversies Together
One of the highlights of the morning was the interactive panel in which a student (Vera Breijer), a lecturer (dr. Rob Kickert) and an AI expert (Bas Smit) each presented a controversial take on AI in education. Is AI making students intellectually lazy? Is AI in no way able to replace teachers? And will AI make testing students obsolete? The audience was invited to share their own opinions, both live and via Menti, which resulted in an interesting discussion.
Workshops and Sessions
After the plenary, enthusiastic colleagues shared their expertise during five sessions:
- How to Rethink Your Assessment Plan in the Age of AI by Hanneke Bahlman-van Pel and Celine van der Lienden (Risbo)
- Academic Questions in the Age of AI: Ethics, Interests, and Responsibility by Rolf Viervant (ESPhil) and Sandra Lousberg (Risbo)
- Build Your Own Chatbot with EduGenAI by Bas Smit (EDIS), Tristan Kik (EUC) and Ella Akin (RSM)
- AI for Adaptive Learning: Personalising Education with GenAI by dr. Dimitrios Tsekouras and dr. Tayfun Kucukyilmaz (RSM)
- Panel discussion | Students in the Spotlight: Learning in the Age of AI led by dr. Milan Vidaković and Jonathan Flores Minuesa (CLI), with students Sam Saidi, Tedra Simatupang, Paul Stam, and Zoë van Wingerden.
The workshops were well attended, and participants were enthusiastic about the practical knowledge, insights, and skills shared. Visitors to the student panel especially appreciated hearing directly from students about their opinions and experiences.
Conclusion and Save the Date
EdUconnect 2025 was a success and offered valuable insights and discussions for everyone, regardless of their experience with generative AI. Participants gave the morning an average rating of 8.8/10. The date for the next edition of EdUconnect has already been set: mark 26 March 2026 in your calendar!
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