IAU 17th General Conference: Call for Proposals

The IAU 17th General Conference will be held from 3-6 November 2026 at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.

About the conference:

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) marks a pivotal moment in societal development, particularly in relation to the evolution of human knowledge. AI is reshaping how information is accessed, generated, and shared. By replicating capacities once considered uniquely human, AI raises fundamental questions about what it means to know, to learn, and by consequence how we perceive the world. It invites us to reflect on the forms of human–machine coexistence we wish to cultivate and the values that should guide this transformation. 

These questions strike at the heart of higher education. AI is not only transforming the operational practices of education and research, but it also challenges the epistemological foundations upon which universities rest. As such, we must question: what constitutes knowledge and how is it constructed in an age of AI, in which text can be generated instantaneously and at scale? How do these transformations affect the principles of academic and scientific integrity, when tasks associated with reasoning, interpretation, and creativity are increasingly automated or delegated to machines? How can AI enrich the pedagogical landscape, without eroding the dialogic, reflective, and critical character of higher education? 

The IAU 17th General Conference invites higher education leaders to engage with these questions, to confront diverse views, and to explore how universities can articulate and leverage their distinct strengths and value, so as to renew their social contract with society in the age of AI.

Call for Proposals Now Open

Framed by the above conference concept note, the IAU has opened this call for proposals to identify speakers from different regions of the world that can contribute to the important conversations during breakout sessions of the conference programme.

Timeline: Proposals may be submitted between 3 March and 3 April.