La Trobe University is adopting an ‘AI-first’ strategy that it hopes will enhance innovation, research, staff productivity and student experience across its operations.
Plans include integrating AI into curricula to prepare graduates for the workforce, encouraging staff to adopt AI, using emerging technology to boost scientific knowledge and creating industry AI standards.
The university said it will harness support from Microsoft and CyberCX over the next three years as part of the strategy’s implementation.
It’s expected the partnerships will create opportunities for guest lecturers, industry participation, scholarships and skills programs, cyber careers promotion, funding for digital transformation, industry-recognised certifications and micro-credentials.
Vice-chancellor professor Theo Farrell said the university “has an ambitious vision to become a university of choice for students, employers and partners seeking AI-empowered talent.”
“Technology, particularly AI, provides immense opportunities for our community and we want to be at the forefront of embracing and implementing these cutting-edge technologies,” Farrell said.
“As we develop our own technological capabilities for students, staff, researchers and partners, including enhanced use of AI, it is important that innovation is balanced with security.”
La Trobe University’s chief information officer Shainal Kavar said in a Microsoft blog post that the university “wants to make sure everything we do is underpinned by security, including how we protect and use data.”
Speaking on the staff impact, Kavar said, “What we’ve done is pick teams with real issues and provided them with the training and support they need to use [AI] tools effectively.
“For instance, we worked with one of the university’s legal teams to solve some tricky data security and privacy issues.
“We were also approached by one of the university’s Deans for help changing how their academic curriculum is designed.”
The university is also bringing in multiple training schemes to educate its staff on AI and its strategic plans, according to Ali Juma, La Trobe’s change and engagement lead for the responsible AI adoption strategy.
“These include an AI fluency program for all staff, which aims to build a foundational understanding of AI as well as an understanding of what the university is doing,” Juma said.
La Trobe is also working with Microsoft on an ‘enterprise skills initiative’ to boost the skillsets of the university’s digital team.