Conference Free

AI Preparedness: Strategy, Culture and Infrastructure for Universities

10am – 3pm 30 September 2025 Snowflake London Office, 3 Crown Place, London, EC2A 4EB

This event is being supported by the HE Transformation Expo Team and the discussions within this session will be use to support further engagement at the HE Transformation Expo on the 19th and 20th November 2025 in Birmingham. For more details on this, please click here.

The Higher Education Policy Institute's (HEPI) recent report, The Future of the Campus University: 10 Trends That Will Change Higher Education, outlines how AI will reshape universities, moving them from content delivery to curating programmes that foster professional, vocational and personal growth.

Concerns are also rising over the pace of generative AI adoption among students, with studies suggesting close to half of assessed work now contains AI-generated material. At the same time, government initiatives are prioritising AI skills across the workforce, pressing universities to balance academic integrity with preparing students for an AI-driven job market.

To explore how institutions can respond, techUK will host a half-day summit at Snowflake's London HQ with leaders from higher education, policy and technology.

Event Details

Date
Tuesday 30 September 2025

Time
10:00 – 15:00

Venue
Snowflake London Office
3 Crown Place
London EC2A 4EB

The Discussions

Discussion One: The Risk of Misreading the AI Moment as a Passing Phase

Explores how AI is different from past technology shifts, reshaping higher education through rapid changes in student expectations, employer demands, school‑level AI use, and corporate learning. Institutions face pressure from multiple directions, making it harder to stay relevant without bold, joined‑up responses.

Key themes include:

Students are widely using AI but feel institutions lag behind.
Employer expectations for AI‑ready graduates and implications for strategy.
AI’s influence on both early education and workplace learning.
How universities position themselves as creators rather than consumers of AI‑driven learning.

Discussion Two: AI‑Ready Infrastructure and Long‑Term Strategy

Examines the systems and architecture behind the AI shift, including data strategy, interoperability, and digital security. Challenges the assumption that current IT systems are ready for AI and asks what needs to evolve for true preparedness.

Key themes include:

Adjusting data strategies to meet AI’s demands.
Managing rising cyber risks in higher education.
The potential for shared tools and testbeds across institutions.

Discussion Three: Culture as the Graveyard of Failed Technology Change

Focuses on the leadership and cultural shifts required for meaningful AI adoption. Highlights the need for trust, collaboration, and governance to ensure AI readiness is not just a technical exercise but an institution‑wide transformation.

Key themes include:

The need for cross‑institutional strategy and narrative‑building.
Overcoming cultural resistance and reframing AI beyond surveillance or cost‑cutting.
Co‑ownership of AI strategy across pedagogy, IT, student services, and policy.
Training, incentives, and governance as the human infrastructure for AI adoption.