BUPT-QMUL Joint Symposium on Enhancing Faculty AI Literacy

To further deepen the exchange between Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in enhancing teaching and learning literacy and internationalisation levels in the artificial intelligence era, the BUPT-QMUL "Joint Symposium on Enhancing Faculty AI Literacy" was held in the Future Learning Building, at BUPT Xitucheng campus, on October 15, 2025. Present at the meeting were Prof Huang Shanguo, Member of the BUPT Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President; Prof Zhang Fangwei, Director of BUPT Faculty Development Centre; Prof Yue Chen, Director of Scholarship and TNE senior advisor at QMUL; and Prof Michael Chai, QM Director of Joint Programme and Joint Education Institute with BUPT.

The symposium was jointly hosted by the BUPT Faculty Development Centre and the BUPT-QMUL Joint Teaching and Learning Centre (JTLC), and co-organised by the BUPT School of Artificial Intelligence, School of Mathematical Sciences, and School of Humanities. Centred around the goals of "Literacy Enlightening Minds, Intelligence Converging in Classrooms, Transformation Leading the Way", the event systematically explored the framework for higher education faculty competencies and pathways for teaching transformation in the AI era.

Prof Huang Shanguo pointed out that as a leading university in China's information and communication sector, BUPT has always been committed to synchronising technological innovation with education and teaching. He reviewed the over-twenty-year collaboration between BUPT and QMUL, highlighting a series of achievements BUPT has made in recent years in empowering faculty development with AI: taking the lead in releasing the "Training Program for Staff and Faculty AI Literacy"; hosting specialised educator training programs commissioned by the Ministry of Education for two consecutive years, reaching nearly 290,000 educators; and offering practical workshops for over 1,000 universities nationwide, forming a replicable and scalable "BUPT Model." Prof Huang emphasised that enhancing faculty AI literacy is both a key fulcrum for building a strong education system and a crucial lever for deepening cooperation between the two universities. He expressed hope that both sides would use this symposium as a new starting point to jointly establish an international benchmark for educator professional development in the AI era.

Structured around the themes of "Literacy Enlightening Minds, Intelligence Converging in Classrooms, Transformation Leading the Way," the symposium was divided into three parts: framework construction, case studies, and discussions. Prof Zhang Fangwei and Prof Yue Chen introduced their respective universities' frameworks for enhancing faculty AI literacy. Subsequently, Xie Pengjin, Specially Appointed Associate Researcher from the School of Artificial Intelligence at BUPT, Associate Professor Zhang Lihua from the School of Mathematical Sciences at BUPT, Associate Professor Lian Jingjing from the School of Humanities at BUPT, Prof Michael Chai and Dr Xianhui Che from QMUL shared case studies of AI-empowered teaching practices. Faculty from both universities engaged in lively discussions on topics such as "Course Design in the Context of AI Empowerment."

Held during BUPT's 70th anniversary celebrations, this joint symposium represents a high-level international academic conference. Both universities will continue to pioneer the deep integration of AI in education, committed to providing solutions for global educator professional development and contributing to the construction of a more inclusive, intelligent, and sustainable new ecosystem for global higher education.

Present at the venue were relevant department heads from the university, experts, scholars, and key faculty from both institutions, as well as international student representatives.