INVITATION
IREG 2024 Conference AI influence on HE and Rankings
Asking the right questions is crucial, especially when challenges arise that have no analogy in history. No longer science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) has invaded higher education on many fronts. Teaching has always been regarded a human domain, yet generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT seem ready to replace instructors. The thread is so real that to protect teaching jobs the state of California wants to ban colleges from using such AI tools.
Evolving artificial intelligence tools have the potential to transform academic research. They can facilitate literature review and guide through ever expanding databases plus help in visual presentation of complex information. In simple terms, AI can make researchers’ work easier.
The tools artificial intelligence brings into higher education sooner rather than later will affect academic rankings and the ways ranking organizations gather and analyze information.
At the IREG 2024 Conference, we will hear international experts and university leaders discuss different aspects of artificial intelligence impact on higher education, and consequently on university rankings, too.
Among annual conferences organized by IREG Observatory, this one will be special, as it will pose more questions than bring answers. To lead a discussion on these open-ended yet important questions, we invited a group of outstanding experts in the field of AI.
They will speak about AI impact on research, teaching and evaluation of higher education and, of course, on rankings. Among them will be: Prof. Piotr Sankowski (Poland), University of Warsaw specializing in AI research and development; Alex Usher (Canada), President, Higher Education Strategy , expert on the global trends in higher education; M’hamed el Aisati, (Netherlands), Vice President of Elsevier who will share unique knowledge and experience in the field of global databases on education, research and their implementation.
There will be a lot to discuss and argue about in Bucharest!
PROGRAM
IREG 2024 Conference
Artificial Intelligence (AI) altering HE and Rankings
PROGRAM
(as of 27.09.2024)
Venue: Grand Hotel, Bucharest, Romania
6 November 2024 (Wednesday)
All day – Arrival of delegates and registration
15.00 – 17.00 IREG ExCom (by invitation)
19.30 – 21.00 Welcome reception
7 November (Thursday)
9.00 – 9.30 OPENING Session
- Waldemar Siwinski, President, IREG Observatory, Poland
- Ligia Deca, Minister of Education of Romania
- Remus Pricopie, Rector of SNSPA University, Romania
9.30 – 10.00 ACADEMIC KEYNOTE ADDRESS
How Artificial Intelligence is changing the world?
Introduction: Waldemar Siwiński, President, IREG Observatory
Speaker:
- Piotr Sankowski Professor at the Institute of Informatics, University of Warsaw; Leader of a research group on Intelligent algorithms and data structures; fmr. Head of IDEAS NCBR Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy; Winner of four European Research Council (ERC) grants
10.00 – 11.30 FIRST SESSION
Artificial Intelligence influence on Higher Education
Chair of the session: Remus Pricopie, Rector of SNSPA
University (Romania)
Speakers:
- Prof. Josep M. Garrell, Professor, President of European University Association (EUA)
- Ghassan Aouad, Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University (United Arab Emirates)
- Barbara Domaradzka, Managing Director of EUonAIR european university consortium, Kozminski University (Poland)
11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break
12.00 – 12.30 SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Impact of Artificial Intelligence on science and research
- M’hmed Aisati, Vice President of Elsevier (Netherlands)
12.30 – 13.30 SECOND SESSION
Can AI improve your University Ranking?: Navigating the AI Revolution in Higher Education
Universities can leverage AI to improve rankings and generate revenue, but they must navigate significant challenges. The benefits could include enhanced rankings and increased revenue. However, the road to successful AI implementation is fraught with obstacles, such as ethical concerns and costly infrastructure.
Expert panelists will weigh in on an interactive discussion, addressing themes like:
- How can universities balance AI’s potential to enhance rankings and generate revenue against the ethical and practical concerns it presents?
- What are the key strategies for making significant AI investments financially sustainable for higher educational institutions?
- How can universities safeguard human critical thinking and ethical standards while integrating AI technologies?
The audience is encouraged to actively participate in the discussion, sparking conversations about acute AI-related issues with the aim to create a community that facilitates ongoing knowledge exchange in the field.
Speakers:
- Marat Fatkhullin, Vice President, Elsevier
- Alex Usher, President, Higher Education Strategy Associates, Canada:
- Vladimir Danailov, member of the Parliament in Bulgaria, former Regional Director, Elsevier
- Isidro Aguillo, Director of Webometrics, Head of Cybermetric Lab – Scimago Group, IPP-CSIC (Spain)
13.30 – 14.30 Lunch
14.30 – 15.40 THIRD SESSION
Rankings and data
The quality of every ranking depends on the quality of the underpinning data. Finding reliable and comparable data globally has proven very difficult or even practically impossible due to differences in the systems of higher education and data collection. On the other hand, there is ever growing volume of available data on the regional level. The European Union is a good example. The ongoing process of unification through programs such as Horizon, Erasmus or European universities and other initiatives will provide a growing pool of reliable data. During the session, actions taken in the Europe in this area will be presented and emerging problems be discussed.
Chair: Birte Hornemann, Chief Data Strategies, Aalborg University’s office of Quality Assurance and Ranking (Denmark)
Invited speakers:
- Martijn Visser, Center for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), University of Leiden, Netherlands: – Open Data and Rankings
- Frans Kaiser, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), University of Twente, Netherlands: – The European Higher Education Sector Observatory: Integration of major European HE data into new tools
- Ming Cheng, Faculty of Education, Sheffield Hallam University, UK: – Indicators on Employability and Employment: – The Holy Grail of Rankings?
15.40 – 16.00 Coffee break
16.00 – 17.20 FOURTH SESSION
Where Rankings are heading?
During the session, experts will present the state of the rankings in the world – global, regional and national – and present their forecasts for the development of the rankings.
Chair: Gyorgy Fabri, Professor, ELTE University (Hungary)
Speakers:
- Richard Holmes, Higher Education Consultant, Leicester (UK): – Global rankings – critique and development
- Justyna Kopanska, Leader, Accreditation and Rankings, Lodz University of Technology (Poland): – National rankings – needed more than ever
- Mukhambetkali Burkitbayev, Professor, Al Farabi University, Kazakhstan: – Regional rankings: What Rankings Does Central Asia Need?
- Milosz Rojek: Analytical Team Leader, Perspektywy Education Foundation (Poland): – Regional rankings: Experiences from implementing the European Ranking of Engineering Programs EngiRank
17:20 End of the plenary programme
17:30 – 18.30 ELSEVIER SEMINAR (by invitation, Corelle hall)
Ignite Your Research Potential: Strategic Planning for Lasting Impact
Ignite Your Research Potential: Strategic Planning for Lasting Impact
We invite you to join a focused workshop at the IREG Conference 2024, aimed at helping university leaders develop effective research strategies. This session will provide practical tools and frameworks for strategic research planning to promote innovation and growth, attract and retain talent.
The workshop includes a presentation by Marat Fatkhullin on “Transforming Universities into an Entrepreneurial Mode,” followed by an interactive exercise led by Kirill Ivanov. Using the Six Steps to Strategic Research Planning and the Six Thinking Hats brainstorming framework, participants will work in small groups with guidance from Elsevier experts Alison Ferrett, Kirill Ivanov, and Parisa Oroemi, to refine a research strategy for a represented institution.
By participating, you will gain insights into creating a supportive research environment, building collaborative networks, and making your institution more attractive for research talent and innovation. We hope you’ll join us to contribute to a stronger research landscape.
Speakers: Marat Fatkhullin (VP Global Strategic Networks, Elsevier)
Discussion groups leaders:
- Kirill Ivanov (Customer Success Manager, Elsevier),
- Parisa Rajab Ali Oroemi (Solutions Account Manager, Elsevier),
- Alison Ferrett (Customer Success Manager, Elsevier)
19.30 – 22.30 Conference Gala Dinner
8 November (Friday)
09.30 – 10:.00 – Second Day Keynote Speaker
Adrian Miroiu, Professor, Member of the Romanian Academy: – National rankings. The Romanian experience.
10:00 – 11.00 FIFTH SESSION
Strategies universities apply toward rankings
Chair: Thomas Parker, Senior Associate, Institute for Higher Education Policy (USA)
Speakers:
- Komiljon Karimov, Rector of Westminster University (Uzbekistan)
- Andrii Shysholin, Vice-Rector for International Relations, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Ukraine)
- Cezar Wazen, Director of International Affairs, Qatar University (Qatar)
11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break
11.30 – 12.45 SIXTH SESSION
Transformative Integration: Universities Embracing Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) for Societal Impact
Chair: Habib Fardoun, member IREG Executive Committee (Saudi Arabia)
Spekers:
- Riri Fitri Sari, Greenmetrics Ranking, University of Indonesia (Indonesia): – Experience of UI GreenMetric: from Rankings to Sustainable Universities in the AI-based Upheaval Era
- Raghu Raman, Dean, School of Business, Amrita University (India)
- Bassam Alameddine, President, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait
12.45 – 13.00 CLOSING Session
- Remus Pricopie, Rector of SNSPA University
- Waldemar Siwinski, President of IREG Observatory, Poland
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 15.00 IREG General Assembly (IREG
members only)
9 November (Saturday)
- Culture and history program at Bucharest (optional)
ORGANIZERS
IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Exellence
and
SNSPA National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
SPONSOR
SPEAKERS
Waldemar Siwinski
President IREG Observatory (Poland)Waldemar Siwinski
Waldemar Siwinski president and co-founder of IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence, and founder of Perspektywy Education Foundation. Under his leadership, Perspektywy produces professional rankings of universities and promotes higher education.
He has an extensive media background as journalist and manager, served as president of the Polish Press Agency (PAP) and was on the board of the European Alliance of News Agencies.
Ligia Deca
Minister of Education (Romania)Ligia Deca
She was the Presidential Adviser – Department of Education and Research – of the President of Romania. From June 2015 to December 2019 she served as the State Adviser of the President of Romania.
Prior to that, between 2010 and 2012 she was head of the Bologna Secretariat, coordinating the 2012 Bucharest conference of the Ministers of education from the European Higher Education Area countries. Between 2012 and 2015, she was an expert with the Executive Agency for Financing Higher Education and Research (UEFISCDI), as well as a lecturer on formation and educational inclusion at the West University of Timișoara (from 2014 to 2015).
From 2008 to 2010 Ligia was the president of the European Students Union. Ligia Deca holds a PhD in political science, awarded by the University of Luxemburg in 2016.
Remus Pricopie
Rector, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (Romania)
Remus Pricopie
Since March 2012 Rector of the SNSPA. From December 2012 to December 2014 he served as Minister of Education and Research. His activity within the Romanian Ministry began in 1996, and includes positions such as Spokesperson, Director, Secretary General and Deputy Minister (Secretary of State) for Higher Education, International Relations and Teacher Training. Also, he has extensively worked / collaborated with many international organizations – UNESCO, UNICEF, EU, OECD, World Bank, United Nation University, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie – and ministries of education / higher education and research from more than 100 countries.
Prof. Pricopie holds a PhD in Political Science at the SNSPA and he is a Fulbright New Century Scholar alumnus, a World Academy of Art and Science Fellow, a member of the Romanian Chapter of the Club of Rome, and a member of the Atlantis Group. His educational background includes a rich international experience, being educated and trained in five countries and nine higher education institutions, especially in the United States of America and European Union.
Alex Usher
President, Higher Education Strategy (Canada)
Alex Usher
Alex Usher is an internationally recognized expert on a range of fields within higher education, including student financial aid, rankings and public financing. He also has wide experience in strategic planning at both the institutional and system level.
Alex is the lead author of the annual higher education almanac The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada and the co-author of the premier statistical handbook on global tertiary education: World Higher Education: Institutions, Students and Funding. His internationally read (and free) daily intelligence e-mail, One Thought to Start Your Day, has over 15,000 subscribers.
Prior to founding Higher Education Strategy Associates in 2009, Mr. Usher served as the Director of Educational Policy Institute Canada and prior to that he was the Director of Research and Program Development at the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He holds degrees from McGill University and Carleton University.
Gero Federkeil
Vice President, IREG Observatory (Germany)
Gero Federkeil
Manager in Charge of Rankings, CHE-Centre for Educational Development. He is also Managing Director at U-Multirank. Since 2000 he has been working at the CHE as a project manager. His main fields of work are ranking, evaluation, quality management and performance indicators.
He is coordinating the international ranking activities at CHE and has published on quality assessment and rankings. He is a member of the German Association of Higher Education Research and the German Association of Evaluation. He started to work for the German Science Council in 1993 where he focused on higher education, evaluation and indicators, higher education and employment and on university medicine. He conducted many evaluations of German higher education institutions.
His main fields of work are ranking, evaluation, quality management and performance indicators.
M’hamed el Aisati
Vice President of Elsevier (Netherlands)M’hamed el Aisati
M’hamed el Aisati is VP for Analytical Services and Data at Elsevier. He holds an MSc in Computer Sciences from the University of Amsterdam. He leads a team that looks after content and analytical services, supporting large research performance evaluation programs and rankings. Previously, he was VP of Funding, Content and Analytics. He is based in Amsterdam.
M’hamed joined Elsevier in 1998 and contributed to the development of the company’s first digital journals platform, which preceded ScienceDirect. In 2004, he helped launch Scopus. M’hamed was granted a master’s degree in computer sciences from the University of Amsterdam. He has published several papers in peer reviewed journals and holds two patents.
Josep M. Garell
President, European University Association (EUA)
Gyorgy Fabri
ELTE University in Budapest, Hungary
Piotr Sankowski
Research group leader, IDEAS NCBR (Poland)Piotr Sankowski
Professor at the Institute of Informatics, University of Warsaw. Leader of a research group on Intelligent algorithms and data structures; the head of IDEAS NCBR center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy. Winner of four European Research Council (ERC) grants. He completed post-doctoral internships at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and at the Sapienza University in Rome.
ELLIS Society member.
Riri Fitri Sari
professor of Computer Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Chairperson of UI GreenMetric (Indonesia)
Ghassan Aouad
Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University (UAE)Ghassan Aouad
Former president of Applied Science University in Bahrain for over eight years before joining ADU. He obtained his PhD in Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry (1991) from the Department of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University in the UK.
After completing his PhD, Professor Aouad joined the University of Salford as a Research Fellow, progressing to become Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science and Technology.
Following his tenure at Salford, Professor Aouad extended his leadership expertise globally, serving as the President of University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Kuwait. He also held leadership roles in professional organizations, including the President and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
In 2016, Professor Aouad received an honorary Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University. He is a member of the Advance HE Leadership and Management Strategic Advisory Group and a Fellow of Advance HE and the Chartered Institute of Building.
Komiljon Karimov
Rector, Westminster International University in Tashkent (Uzbekistan)Komiljon Karimov
In his previous role, he served as first deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation in the government of Uzbekistan. The role included providing strategic leadership of the higher education sector in all aspects of its operation, and formulating national policy on higher and vocational education and ensuring that it is implemented in letter and spirit. Dr Karimov’s previous posts include rector and CEO of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Tashkent, Uzbekistan). During 2015-2020, he served as Rector of WIUT.
Habib Fardoun
Consultor principal, QS Quacquarelli Symonds (Spain/Saudi Arabia)
Habib Fardoun
Habib Fardoun has PhD in Computer Engineering and Information Technology, as well as a Master’s degree in Quality Higher Education Curricula. He is an accomplished researcher, university-ranking expert, and professor with a distinguished Computer Engineering and Information Technology background.
Currently, Habib is a consultant for university excellence: Excellence Consulting for Education: Ranking & Research
In his research pursuits, he explores various topics including Higher Education Curricula, Human-Computer Interaction, ICTs and Rehabilitation, and Software Engineering in the Cloud. By delving into the intersection of technology and education, he endeavors to pioneer innovative solutions that empower both learners and educators.
Thomas Parker
Senior Associate, Institute for Higher Education Policy (USA)
Richard Holmes
Editor, University Ranking Watch (United Kingdom/Malaysia)
Justyna Kopańska
Accreditation and International Rankings Lodz University of Technology (Poland)
Isidro F. Aguillo
Editor of Webometrics, Head of Cybermetric Lab – Scimago Group, IPP-CSIC (Spain)
Frans Kaiser
Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), University of Twente, Netherlands
Ming Cheng
Faculty of Education, Sheffield Hallam University (UK)
Robert Morse
Chief Data Strategist for US News & World Report (USA)
Martijn Visser
Center for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), University of Leiden, Netherlands
Barbara Domaradzka
Managing Director of EUonAIR project, Kozminski University (Poland)
With over 15 years of experience, she has successfully managed international projects funded by the European Commission and other institutions. Her expertise spans education, culture, and technology sectors. As a facilitator and trainer, she has conducted numerous workshops and trainings on project management and strategic planning.
Adrian Miroiu
f. President, SNSPA University, RomaniaAdrian Miroiu is a professor of political science at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration; he was the dean of the Faculty of Political Science and President of the University. He is also a member of the Romanian Academy. He published in the fields of theoretical philosophy and political theory. He also had contributions in higher education policy and scientometrics. He acted as deputy minister for higher education, president of the National Council for the Financing of Higher Education and vice-president of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.
Andrii Shysholin
Vice-Rector, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Ukraine)
Cesar Wazen
Director of International Affairs, Qatar University (Qatar)
Mukhambetkali Burkitbayev
Professor at Al Farabi University in Almaty (Kazakhstan)
Raghu Raman
Dean, School of Business, Amrita University (India)Prof. Raman has over 30 years of executive management experience at variety of Fortune 500 companies and has been with Amrita since its inception. Prof. Raman established the Center for Research in Analytics & Technologies for Education (CREATE). Hi is frequently invited as speaker at world ranking forums. For over five years, as CEO of Amrita Technologies, a high technology healthcare start up, Prof. Raman provided leadership that lead to a patented and CCHIT certified Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system with a global customer base.
Vladimir Danailov
Member of the Parliament in Bulgaria, former Regional Director, Elsevier
Mihai Paunescu
Vice-rector of the SNSPA
Kirill Ivanov
Customer Success Manager, Elsevier (Hungary)
Birte Hornemann
Director of Aalborg University’s office of Quality Assurance and Ranking. (Denmark)
Marat Fatkhullin
Vice President, Elsevier
HOTEL
Grand Hotel Bucharest
Mercure Bucharest Unirii****
Sheraton Bucharest Hotel****
REGISTRATION
Regular euro 580,00
Members of IREG Observatory euro 250,00
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
GALLERY
