Multiple initiatives, one shared movement

It started as a new development for a small group of people. But it quickly became a major theme. Early on in the rapid rise of AI, THUAS chose to embrace its potential. Today, AI is embedded in our education, research and operations, in regional and European partnerships, and in the many stories shared on our Employee Portal. Mirjam Boer, Samuel Kernan Freire and Esther van Vondel each engage with AI in different ways. They explain how their roles complement one another and how, together, they contribute to education, research and societal impact. 

Exploring the growing landscape 

The range of AI tools is expanding almost every week. Even AI companies themselves sometimes struggle to keep up. “Everyone at THUAS is exploring what’s available,” says Mirjam Boer, Programme Manager for the Bachelor's programme in Applied Data Science & AI and the brand-new Master's programme in AI Translator. To discuss collaboration around AI, she sits down with Samuel Kernan Freire and Esther van Vondel. 

Samuel has been a member of the AI & Data Science Expert Team for the past two years. Since 1 June, he has combined that role with his position as Associate Professor of Applied Sciences (Associate Lector) in Learning Technology and Analytics. “My research focuses on how degree programmes can become AI-ready: how they can respond in time to AI’s impact on professional practice and on the way students learn.” 

Connected through shared networks 

Esther is Programme Lead for the HAAI Campus, a partnership between THUAS, ROC Mondriaan, Leiden University, TU Delft and regional partners. “Our aim is to give a strong boost to the digital and societal resilience of the Hague region in two ways: by helping residents, students and professionals develop AI skills, and by embedding AI responsibly in education, work and society.” 

Both Samuel and Mirjam are also closely involved in UNINOVIS, the European alliance of universities and universities of applied sciences in which AI and data science are key focus areas. “UNINOVIS and HAAI Campus recently organised a hackathon that took place simultaneously at THUAS and a university of applied sciences in Würzburg, Germany,” Samuel explains. “The aim was to explore how AI could support circular construction.” 

A lightweight feedback loop 

“For the time being, Mirjam is my main client,” Samuel says with a smile. “For her programmes, I’ll be researching how we can create a practical feedback loop around the existing points of contact between professional practice and education, such as internships and graduation projects. By keeping that feedback loop lightweight, Mirjam’s programmes will be able to respond more quickly and more effectively to changes in the professional field driven by AI.” 

Mirjam adds: “My ideal outcome is that this research will enable me to review every module every six months. Take the first year, for example: the curriculum consists of twelve units, each worth five ECTS credits in learning outcomes. Within that structure, we want as much flexibility as possible to update those units with new knowledge, new tools or more in-depth discussions of emerging ethical issues surrounding AI.” 

Connecting networks 

AI is no longer something organisations can ignore. Governments, educational institutions, and both large and small businesses are all being challenged to integrate AI into their operations and educational provision. This is where HAAI Campus comes in. “Our starting point is learning together, working together and developing together,” Esther explains. “One of our key roles is bringing networks together. We connect existing expertise with the questions organisations have about AI.” 

Small and medium-sized enterprises are an important part of that picture. “Research shows that, broadly speaking, larger companies are making greater use of AI than small ones,” Samuel says. “That said, there are small businesses led by directors who are enthusiastically embracing AI, while some larger remain much more cautious.” “And where funding is a barrier for smaller businesses,” Esther adds, “we are happy to connect them with the SME Digital Workplace (MKB Digiwerkplaats), which can support them without creating additional costs.” 

Structured collaboration 

Mirjam, Esther and Samuel know how to find one another, particularly when it comes to sharing networks. But to what extent do they also align their programmes and work together on projects? “Many projects begin with an enthusiastic lecturer or researcher,” says Mirjam. “They identify a question and then look for the right partners. That’s where connecting and making the most of our networks really adds value.” 

“My collaboration with Samuel is more programme-based. Another good example can be found at the Dutch Innovation Factory in Zoetermeer, where students from mboRijnland and THUAS work together on projects that develop solutions to challenges presented by industry.” 

The AI Acceleration Agenda 

As soon as AI began to play a significant role in education and research, THUAS responded by launching the AI Acceleration Agenda: a dedicated team tasked with advising colleagues and directing them to the right expertise. Today, there are degree programmes, research groups and external partners across the university actively working with AI. That does not mean the AI Acceleration Agenda has become redundant. 

“The fact that we now have two degree programmes entirely focused on AI certainly doesn’t mean that all 2,500 colleagues are AI-literate,” Mirjam says. “There is still a great deal of work to do. On the one hand, we need to improve AI literacy across the university. On the other, we need to ensure that our systems and support services evolve accordingly and are properly organised.” 

A natural fit 

Collaboration now takes place at every level: internally through the AI Acceleration Agenda, regionally through HAAI Campus and internationally through UNINOVIS. Increasingly, discussions also focus on whether AI can contribute to a fairer world. “How many trees are you willing to cut down to power the data centres AI requires?” Mirjam asks. “Who is excluded by the choices we make? Who may lose their job because of AI? These are the kinds of questions we take very seriously.” 

The conversation with Mirjam, Esther and Samuel centres on AI in relation to educational quality, research, co-creation with professional practice and building a fairer society: three of the key themes in the Strategic  Plan and its Implementation Agenda. Interestingly, these themes are never explicitly mentioned during the conversation. Yet everything they describe aligns naturally with the ambitions of the Strategic Plan and the objectives of the Implementation Agenda. 

So where do they see the greatest opportunity in the near future? “We already work closely together and know each other well,” says Mirjam. “But there’s always room to collaborate more, better and faster.” Then she laughs. “Perhaps AI will soon have a solution for that too.”