The Center for Educational Learning Support, Institute for Educational Innovation, Hokkaido University, and the Hokkaido Faculty Development/Staff Development Council will be holding the first in a webinar series titled "The Significance of Universities Questioned by Generative AI."

As we enter the age of generative AI, change will become even more rapid than before. This webinar series will re-examine the very structure of university education, taking this change into account. We will invite guest speakers each time to discuss the nature of learning, the role of universities, and their relationship with society from diverse perspectives, together with the participants.

In August, we will also be holding an in-person symposium as a collaborative project with the Hokkaido FDSD Forum. We look forward to the participation of faculty, staff, and students who are interested in the topic.

Lecture Summary

This presentation will report on the results of a survey conducted as part of the Japan Society for University Education's research project, "Research on Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in Higher Education," targeting the heads of higher education institutions nationwide regarding the actual state of implementation of generative AI.

This survey reveals that many institutions are entering the "implementation" phase, where they are putting the various policies outlined in the generative AI guidelines into practice, and that disparities in AI capabilities are widening among institutions. We present four recommendations, considering generative AI as an infrastructure for higher education.

 

Date and Time: Monday, July 13, 2026, 16:00-17:00 (Entry begins at 15:50)
Holding method: Zoom webinar
Lecturer: Kazutaka Tanaka (Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Obirin University)
Target audience: Personnel from higher education institutions (including graduate students)
Participation fee: Free
Language used: Japanese

For more details, please click here. *This will take you to the Hokkaido University Educational Innovation Organization website.