The Special Interest Group on Educational Technologies (SIG-EDU) invites you to three upcoming events in August and September 2026.
- Hands-on online workshop on AI in education — 31 August 2026, 10:00–12:00 (CEST), online
- SIG-EDU meeting: Education and AI — 7 September 2026, 09:00–17:00 (CEST), Luleå, Sweden (co-located with NDN2026)
- SIG-EDU meeting: Interoperability and standards — 15 September 2026, 09:00–13:00 (EEST), Thessaloniki, Greece (co-located with Learning Impact Europe 2026)
More details on the events can be found below
Hands-on online workshop on AI in education – 31.08.26, 10–12 am (CEST)
Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education worldwide, and no country or institution will be able to meet the resulting responsibilities alone. Ensuring that AI is introduced and governed in universities in a responsible, high-quality, and impactful way requires coordinated international action where National Research Education Networks (NRENs) and other regional networks can play an important role.
To move the collaboration forward, we will host a background workshop on international cooperation on AI within (higher) education. We personally invite you to bring your perspective and expertise to the meeting on Monday, 31 August 2026, 10:00–12:00 (CEST), online.
Building on the momentum of discussions at TNC, the different Special Interest Groups and other conferences, the workshop will focus on identifying shared strategic interests, clarifying where joint action can create tangible added value, and outlining concrete avenues for collaboration. We will explore collaboration opportunities across different areas of AI in education (e.g. application development and deployment, research on AI in education and capacity building). Are you already working on these topics through building applications, working on capacity building, strategy or research and are interested in setting first steps international? Then this workshop is for you.
The workshop will be hands-on and practical and move beyond general exchange. Our aim is to develop initial sketches of potential collaborative projects and concrete next steps that can be carried forward after the meeting. This session will also be a first deep dive before the SIG-EDU meeting on 7 September, focusing on AI and education (communication on this will be coming).
Kindly confirm your attendance by signing up via this registration form by 26.08.2026. You will receive additional information including the access to the online platform prior to the workshop.
Find more information here
SIG-EDU Meeting: Education and AI – 7 September 2026, Luleå, Sweden
We are pleased to invite you to the next SIG-EDU meeting, focused on Education and AI, taking place alongside NORDUnet Conference 2026 (NDN2026).
This full-day meeting will bring together NREN colleagues to share national initiatives, tools, and pilots on AI in education, and to work together on shared themes including AI tools for teaching and learning, federating generative AI initiatives, and the ethics, privacy, and responsible use of AI. The day will combine an opening framing talk on the state of AI in education across GÉANT NRENs, lightning talks from NRENs, and breakout working sessions, closing with a plenary discussion on next steps.
Call for Lightning Talks
As part of the meeting, we are inviting NREN colleagues to present a short Lightning Talk on national initiatives, tools, or pilots related to AI in education. This is a great opportunity to showcase your work and connect with peers working on similar challenges across the community. If you would like to propose a Lightning Talk, please submit your proposal by 31 August 2026 via email to gyongyi.horvath@geant.org. We will confirm the final speaker line-up shortly after the deadline.
Why attend?
This meeting is a chance to get a clear picture of where AI in education stands across the GÉANT NREN community, learn from concrete national initiatives and pilots, and help shape a shared approach going forward. The breakout sessions are designed to produce practical outputs on tools, federation, and responsible use — so your input will directly feed into SIG-EDU’s next steps on this topic.
Who should join?
We welcome colleagues from NRENs and universities working on, or with an interest in, AI in education — including those involved in digital learning, identity and access management, teaching and learning technology, or AI policy and ethics. The day is equally relevant to those with an established initiative to share and those who are just starting to explore this space.
Find more information here
SIG-EDU Meeting: Interoperability and Procurement – 15 September 2026, Thessaloniki, Greece
We are also pleased to invite you to a SIG-EDU meeting on interoperability and standards, co-located with Learning Impact Europe 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The meeting will bring together the SIG-EDU community to discuss the standardisation landscape in education technology, with topics including discovery use cases, course catalogues, and user identity federation. Further details on the programme will follow closer to the date.
The SIG-EDU meeting is free and open, and additionally, participants of the SIG-EDU meeting will benefit from a discounted rate if they would like to attend the Learning Impact Europe 2026 conference.
Find more information here
We hope you can join us for one, some, or all of these events, and we look forward to your participation.
