Standardizing AI In Higher Education
On June 26–27, 2025, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University, MEF University, and Özyeğin University hosted an Eaquals-funded event at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University Haliç Campus. The symposium focused on establishing ethical and consistent frameworks for the integration of Artificial Intelligence in foreign language education.
Day 1: Understanding Current AI Applications and Challenges
The first day was dedicated to analyzing the institutional standards and practical applications of AI.
Institutionalization: Koray Tunç delivered the plenary on building standards for AI integration.
Practical Insights (Station Rotation): Sessions included "Reframing AI in EAP with Ethical Boundaries" (Alireza Kabiriaslifar), "AI-Driven Speaking Practice" (Fatemeh Aziminiya), and "Mastering English Skills Independently" (Deniz Barutçuoğlu).
Workshops: Meryem Büşra conducted a session on ElevenLabs for listening materials, and Joel Compton presented on "Z-Axis Education."
Committee Discussions: Afternoons were reserved for collaborative committees focused on benchmarking AI usage, academic integrity, and administrative data protection.
Day 2: Developing AI Roadmap and Blueprints
The second day focused on the theoretical and strategic future of AI in the classroom.
Plenary Sessions: Dr. Caroline Fell Kurban discussed the philosophical question of technology's purpose, followed by Dr. Hakan Tarhan on situating learning and cognition in the GenAI era.
Parallel Workshops:
Student Perceptions: Merve Elbirlik Tülek explored AI in undergraduate research.
Practical Evaluation: Mariyana Akeel evaluated AI’s role in the language classroom.
Bias and Ethics: Kate Stopa facilitated a workshop on navigating AI bias.
Classroom Implementation: Gurbet Kabadayı Karatel demonstrated AI for B1 learners, and Parisa Farrokh presented a framework for AI-co-taught classrooms.
The event concluded with the development of blueprints to standardize AI implementation across Eaquals member institutions.
