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AI Futures Summit

Empowering Higher Education
  • Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi
  • 24 - 25 September, 2025

2025 Programme

The AI Futures Summit: Empowering Higher Education will open in the presence of H.E. Dr. Mohammad Al Mualla, Undersecretary of Higher Education, reflecting the strong commitment to advancing AI in academia and shaping future-ready institutions.

Below is the provisional programme for the AI Futures Summit, the times listed below are subject to change, and further details will be provided once the programme is finalised.

.Final Programme. 
Thank you to all our contributors and guests for making it an exciting and diverse programme

09:00 – 9:20

  • Auditorium

Opening, Welcome, Opening remarks ​

Master of Ceremonies, Razan Alkhanbouli 
Kamran Kardan, Founder & CEO, Knowledge E

H.E. Prof. Ebrahim Al Hajri, President, Khalifa University 

09:20-9:50

  • Auditorium

Opening Keynote Ministry of Education

H.E. Dr Mohammed Al-Mualla,
Undersecretary of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education UAE

9:50-10:30

  • Auditorium

Keynote: Beyond Borders, Beyond Bias – Building Bridges Through AI-Driven Higher Education 

Dr Nader Ghazal
Chairman, African-Asian Council for AI and Cybersecurity

10:30-10:55

  • Auditorium Foyer

Coffee Break

10:55–11:35

  • Auditorium

Keynote: Professionalising Research Management in the Age of AI: A European Perspective on Capacity, Competitiveness, and Collaboration

Nik Claesen

Managing Director, European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA)

11:35-13:00

  • Auditorium

University Leadership Panel: Empowering the UAE’s AI Vision Through University Leadership in Innovation and Trust

H.E. Prof. Ebrahim Al Hajri, Khalifa University

H.E. Prof. Esameldin Agamy, University of Sharjah
H.E. Prof. Ahmed Ali Al Raeesi, United Arab Emirates University
Prof. Tod Laursen, American University of Sharjah

Prof. Nathalie Martial-Braz, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Prof. Timothy Baldwin, MBZUAI

Moderated by: Kamran Kardan, Founder and CEO, Knowledge E 

13:00-13:40

  • Auditorium

Fireside Chat:
Shaping National Futures Through Policy, Partnerships, and Innovation

H.E. Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General, Association of Arab Universities

Mr Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, Kazakhstan

Kamran Kardan, Founder and CEO, Knowledge E

13:40-14:25

  • Multi Purpose Hall

Lunch

                                     Master of Ceremonies: Jacir Hilmi

14:25-15:20

  • Auditorium

Presentation: Why organisational readiness and digital foundations are critical to unlocking the value of AI within a university?

Cameron Mirza, Chief of Party, IREX

Presentation: Integrating AI within the Learning and Assessment Ecosystem: Challenges and Solutions

Prof Azzam Mourad, Professor Khalifa University

15:20-15:45

  • Auditorium Foyer

Coffee Break

15:45-16:25

  • Auditorium

Keynote: The Future of Learning – Generative AI in Education

Prof. Dr. Christian Kapteyn, Professor of Digital Business & Head of Generative AI in Higher Education, SRH University

16:25-17:10

  • Auditorium

Panel session: AI and the Future of Academic Excellence

 Prof. Gerard Biau, Sorbonne University
 Dr. Taimur Hassan, Abu Dhabi University
 Rodrigo Pinto, Zendy

 

Moderated by: Ranwa AbdulRazzaq, Knowledge E

17:10-18:10

  • Auditorium
  • Parallel Session
  • Lecture Hall

Parallel Session Auditorium: Responsible AI implementation

  • Design and Implementation of an AI-Integrated EdTech Program in the UAE
    ~ Fariha Hayat Salman, American University in Dubai
  • Toward Ethical and Sustainable AI Integration in Higher Education: A Curriculum Transformation Framework
    ~ Samia Kouki, Higher Colleges of Technology
  •  Transforming Higher Education Through Artificial Intelligence: Personalization, Efficiency, and Equity
    ~Mohammad Alhnidi, Eduverse

Parallel Session Lecture Hall: AI in the library

  • How AI is Reshaping the Library Landscape
    ~ Iman Khamis, Northwestern University Qatar
  • Pioneering Agentic AI in Libraries: Aisha at the Core of Zayed University Library’s Transformative AI Journey
    ~ Nikesh Narayanan, Zayed University
  • The AI Arbitrator: A Framework for Quality control in Library AI Applications
    ~ Nabil Badran, Amity University

18:15-18:45

  • Khalifa University

Visit Body Museum 

18:45-19:00

  • Khalifa University

Transportation Conference Dinner

19:30-22:00

  • Khalifa University

Conference Dinner at Dusit Thani

.Final Programme now live! 
Thank you to all our contributors and guests for making it an exciting and diverse programme

9:00-9:15

  • Lecture Hall A

Opening

Master of Ceremonies – Jacir Hilmi

9:20-10:20

  • Lecture Hall A
  • Parallel Session
  • Lecture Hall B

Parallel Session Lecture Hall A: Impact beyond Education

  • AI in Higher Education: The Leadership Imperative

    ~ Wissam Adib, Wissam Adib Executive Coaching

  • From Awareness to Authentic Integration: Exploring Faculty Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education – an Exploratory Study
     ~ Ali Bhayani, Higher Colleges of Technology
  • Unlocking Institutional Impact: A Case Study on Leveraging AI for Evidence-Based Research Narratives and Strategic Planning
    ~ Sean Newell, Elsevier

Parallel Session Lecture Hall B: Transforming Education with AI

  • Leveraging AI-Driven Business Intelligence to Transform Higher Education Operations and Research
    ~ Raghavender Reddy Puchhakayala, University of Missouri
  • Exploring the Relationship Between Teachers’ Mindset and Their Acceptance of AI in Education
    ~ Swathi Nair, Gujarat University 

10:20-10:50

  • Lecture Hall Foyer

COFFEE BREAK

10:50-11:50

  • Lecture Hall A
  • Parallel Session
  • Lecture Hall B

Parallel Session Lecture Hall A: Next generation of learning

  • E-Health Literacy and Attitudes Towards Use of Artificial Intelligence Among University Students in the United Arab Emirates, a Cross-Sectional Study
    ~ Azhar Talal, United Arab Emirates University
  • From Disruption to Design: Rethinking Teaching in the Age of AI
  • ~ Maha Ben Salem, American University in Dubai
  • Mapping Course Alignment Using Transformer Models
    ~ Sara Bahlooq, Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Parallel Session Lecture Hall B: Empowering Creativity

  • Multimodal Acquisition of Experimental Skills with Generative AI
    ~ Mohamed Seghier, Khalifa University of Science and Technology
  • Reimagining Studio Pedagogy: Human Creativity in an AI Future
    ~ Abubakr Abdalla, American University in Dubai
  • Vibe Coding with AI: Empowering Creativity Without Compromising Capability
    ~ Dina Belay & Tahmina Rafat, University of Dubai

11:50-12:50

  • Lecture Hall A
  • Parallel Session
  • Lecture Hall B

Parallel Session Lecture Hall A: Reshaping Learning Environments

  • AI in Education and Environmental Responsibility: A Perspective from Architectural Engineering & Interior Design
    ~ Lamia Shaheen, Amity University 
  • Leveraging DISC Personality Frameworks in AI-Driven Higher Education: Toward Efficient, Adaptive, and Scalable Learning
    ~ Hanan AlMaghout, AlBayan
  • Thrive AI: Codes for Gen Z
    ~  Abdul Quddus Mohammed, Higher Colleges of Technology

Parallel Session Lecture Hall B: AI in Health Care Education I

  • Character AI Versus Standardized Patients: A Comparative Study in Medical Simulation and Education
    ~ Joanna Jayakumar, 
  • AI-Assisted Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Preliminary Assessment of Real-Time Guidance for Cardiac Image Acquisition
    ~ Sara Al Khemeiri, Sheikh Shakbout Medical City
  • Reimagining Biomedical Education Through AI-Driven Virtual Laboratories 
    ~ Patricia Nancy, S, Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology 

12:50-13:45

  • Multi Purpose Hall

LUNCH

13:45-14:45

  • Lecture Hall A
  • Parallel Session
  • Lecture Hall B

Parallel Session Lecture Hall A: Future-Ready

  • The AI Revolution in Healthcare Education: Transforming Curricula to Produce Future-Proof Professionals
    ~ Mohamed Baraka, Fatima College of Health Sciences
  • AI Adoption and Skill Transformation in the UAE Job Market: Rising Demand for Hybrid Competencies
  • ~ Khaled Toffaha, Khalifa University

Parallel Session Lecture Hall B: AI in Health Care Education II

  • A Proof-of-Concept Study: LLM-Based Virtual Patients for Culturally Responsive Clinical Reasoning Education
    ~ Lisa Jackson, Mohammed Bin Rashid University
  •  AI-Powered Multilingual Mobile Application for Community-Based Screening of Non-Communicable Diseases in the MENA Region
    ~ Abdullah Yassin, Silent Partner Global
  • Clinic AI Companion: AI-Powered Healthcare & Wellness Assistant
    ~ Afra Alahbabi, Clinical AI Companion

14:45-15:15

  • Lecture Hall foyer

COFFEE BREAK

15:15-16:15

  • Lecture Hall A
  • Parallel Session
  • Lecture Hall B

Parallel Session Lecture Hall A: LLMs

  • Large Language Models in Literature Reviews: Gains, Gaps, and Ground Truths
    ~ Mohid Sayed, Indian School of Business
  • Man Versus Machine: Can Large Language Models Outperform Humans in Conducting Systematic Reviews in Engineering Management Research
    ~Malik Khalfan, Khalifa University of Science and Technology

     Presentation Lecture Hall A: Future-Ready Skills
  • Beyond Efficiency: AI Integration in Higher Education for Future-Ready Skills
    ~ Sami Mejri, Khalifa University

Parallel WORKSHOP Lecture Hall B: Designing engaging online experiences

    • Designing engaging online experiences
      ~ Isaac Tabor, Head of Digital Learning, Knowledge E
     
    This workshop would add even more value if you bring:
    • Laptop
    • Google Account
    • Slide deck and related materials (articles, lesson plans, notes etc) on a topic you have recently taught
     
    Materials will be uploaded to Google’s NotebookLM (generative AI tool) as part of a workshop exercise. Please consult institutional AI policies and regulations where needed.

16:15

END OF AI FUTURES SUMMIT: EMPOWERING HIGHER EDUCATION