Professor Miriam Fernandez will be participating in the HESPA Autumn All-In Conference 2025 to be held in November, 25-27. The conference is hosted by the Higher Education Strategic Planners Association – HESPA; the autumn conference is the premier venue for those working in strategy and planning in UK higher education. As stated by HESPA, this virtual conference: “…brings together sessions that explore the operating environment while offering support to strategy and planning professionals so that they feel equipped to thrive”. This years’ theme is “Planners power up” as described by HESPA: “With sessions designed to inform, energise, spark curiosity, and empower, we hope you can join us for a well-deserved power up”
On Thursday 27 of November @ 11am, Miriam will take the stage with the workshop titled “Responsible AI for Learning Analytics in Higher Education: The Open University’s Use Case”.
Session Synopsis: Over the past decade, AI and data-driven tools have become central to how higher education institutions support student success. Drawing on more than a decade of experience at the Open University, this talk reflects on the opportunities and tensions that arise when designing AI systems to support students. Developing responsible AI in this context involves navigating significant challenges: biased and incomplete data, complex ethical and legal frameworks, effective communication with students and staff, and the risk of unintended harm to historically disadvantaged groups, among others. This talk also presents practical responses to these challenges, from conducting bias audits that assess both algorithmic and human biases to developing mechanisms that improve transparency and explainability, and addressing not only legal compliance but also broader ethical responsibilities. Rather than offering a perfect model, this keynote shares lessons from applied AI work in higher education as a way to communicate Responsible AI practices and experience that can support others in the sector and help ensure that AI systems are deployed in ways that effectively and ethically support all students.
More information, here: https://www.hespa.ac.uk/events/hespa-autumn-all-in-conference-2025/
