Institutional Site Visits
In March 2019, the IAU launched a programme entitled ‘Institutional Site Visits’ under the Digital Transformation priority area. The purpose of these visits is to create opportunities for exchange among members while meeting at an IAU Member university that excels in a particular digital transformation, tool, or innovation to improve higher education and learn from experiences at the host university. The aim of the programme is to build capacity through the exchange of information and experiences. Participants acquire new insights on how to use technology and learn about how to adapt and use the tools in his or her context.
Institutional Site Visit on Artificial Intelligence in Beijing, China
The 2025 Institutional Site Visit was hosted by Beijing Normal University (BNU) in China from 20-21 August 2025. The University welcomed IAU Members to learn about their extensive experience in leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform higher education.
AI is inevitably transforming teaching, learning, and research, presenting both significant opportunities and challenges. It has the potential to enhance educational experiences, streamline data processing, and improve the quality and efficiency of research. However, its integration also raises ethical concerns, including transparency, equitable access, data bias, potential misuse, and its impact on academic integrity. Navigating these complexities requires a fine line between exploring its benefits while addressing the risks responsibly.
China has emerged as one of the global leaders in the development of AI, and the country’s vision for AI is laid out in the in the New Generation AI Development Plan (2017) which outlines the country’s agenda up to 2030.
Beijing Normal University (BNU) grew out of the Education Department of Imperial University of Peking established in 1902, placing focus on teacher training in China’s higher education. After development for over a century, BNU has become a comprehensive and research-intensive university with disciplines in sciences and humanities, teacher education, and educational science.
BNU has positioned itself at the forefront of AI research and education. The university actively promotes interdisciplinary AI initiatives, fosters collaboration between academia and industry, and integrates AI advancements into teaching and learning, as well as in research. BNU holds a UNESCO Chair on AI in Education and has led several initiatives on AI in support of the work of UNESCO and the objectives of the UN Transforming Education Summit on digital transformation. The university serves as an inspiring model for how higher education institutions worldwide can engage with AI to explore new educational experiences and drive knowledge creation, technological progress, and societal impact.
Institutional Site Visit on Open Science in Utrecht, the Netherlands
The two-day programme of the institutional site visit at Utrecht University enabled participants to understand the impressive transformation that Universiteit Utrecht has undertaken over recent years to embrace the principles of Open Science. It showcased to what extent that commitment and engagement from all levels of the institution is crucial across the different faculties, bringing together and recognizing the important contributions of staff regardless of function or status and rewarding colleagues for their contributions to the global vision set out for the institution.
The site visit demonstrated how to initiate this important transformation and the different support structures in place which allowed this shift happen. From the role of the library to data stewards providing the necessary tools and support, it included examples of transformation towards Open Education and Community Engagement in science. The Site Visit moreover demonstrated the importance of reconsidering the structure of positions, the Reward And Recognition scheme, and how metrics and rankings can be counterproductive to some aspirations.
Institutional Site Visit on Online Learning in Barcelona, Spain
The first IAU Site Visit was hosted by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) - the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) – which is the first fully online university worldwide. UOC welcomed 24 IAU Member representatives from 16 countries to Barcelona on 27-28 March in order to share their experience about online learning, the pedagogical and management model and its educational model based on personalization and accompanying students using e-learning.
The visit took place from 27-28 March 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. Watch a video from the Site Visit here.
Host an Institutional Site Visit
If you believe that your institution is a leader in this field and you wish to promote your institution and share your experience, consider hosting a site visit. Contact IAU to learn more.