BU Research Blog

We had the pleasure of organising a thought-provoking session at made possible through funding from British Academy ECRN, focused on one big question: How is AI reshaping who we are as academics?

We were joined by two inspiring speakers:
-Peter Magnani, CEO and founder of BEEM, who shared the development journey of his AI-powered app and how it’s transforming user experiences
-@Prof. Professor Gelareh Roushan-Easton, reflected on how AI is influencing academic practice, from teaching and learning to research and student engagement
-Dr. Samreen Ashraf (organiser of the session) shared her research about identity and the timely nature of the topic considering the rapid changes in higher education.

The heart of the session was an interactive activity where participants explored:
1. How they define their academic identity.
2. Where and how AI intersects with their roles and values
3. The opportunities, tensions, and uncertainties this evolving landscape presents
The conversations were honest, reflective, and energising, reminding us that as AI continues to evolve, so too must our understanding of academic identity.

And finally massive thanks to all involved in this workshop, our guest speakers, audience, BAECRN, and my colleague Marianna for helping with this.
💬 I’d love to hear from others in higher education:
How is AI influencing your professional identity? What excites you or concerns you most about this shift?

Feel free to get in touch with me at sashraf@bournemouth.ac.uk , if you are interested in this topic area 🙂