AI Competence Hub
The rapid, ongoing pace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments has highlighted its importance across a wide range of fields. This also applies to university teaching at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich). Teaching staff is expected to enhance their competencies regarding the use of AI in education and, at the same time, be empowered to support students in developing a responsible approach to AI.
The AI Competence Hub project, implemented in collaboration with ETH Zurich, addresses this need and aims to strengthen the AI competencies of teaching staff, taking into account technological, scientific, and social dimensions (project duration: January 2025 to September 2026).
The initiative comprises three closely interconnected components. The “AI Community for Teaching” and the “AI Environment for Teaching Staff” are funded by the swissuniversities PgB program “Open Education & Digital Competencies and are carried out in collaboration with ETH Zurich.
- AI-Environment for Teaching Staff: An AI competence framework is being developed to guide teaching staff in enhancing their AI-related skills. This framework will also serve as a reference for designing professional development formats and resources related to AI.
- AI-Community for Teaching: The establishment of Communities of Practice on the topic of AI in teaching and learning at both universities aims to foster the joint development of application scenarios and the exchange of knowledge. At the University of Zurich, the Community of Practice “AI in Higher Education Teaching” has been launched within the DSI Education Community. If you would like to join the CoP and receive updates and information about community events, you can register here: Registration Form
- AI-Coaches: AI Coaches are students who receive specific training to support teaching staff in the use of AI in their courses. The training of AI Coaches takes place exclusively at the University of Zurich. Further information about the role of AI Coaches and the requirements will be published on this page in the coming months.