European Distance and E-learning Network - EDEN

🚨 Registration is closing on June 1 — and this is your LAST chance to join us at EDEN PORTO AC 2026! 🇵🇹✨

Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with educators, researchers, and innovators shaping the future of digital education and human-AI collaboration.

📍 Porto, Portugal
📅 14–16 June 2026

Secure your spot now before registration closes!
EDEN PORTO AC 2026 Registration & Info: https://eden-europe.eu/event/eden-2026-annual-conference/

🎤 EDEN Porto AC 2026 Spotlight Speaker Announcement

We are pleased to announce another spotlight speaker for the EDEN Annual Conference 2026 in Porto:
✨ Colin Lowry
Senior Manager for Teaching and Learning, Enhancement and Digital Innovation at Ireland’s Higher Education Authority (HEA).

💡 Spotlight title:
“Supporting Higher Education Readiness for Generative AI in Teaching and Learning”

In this spotlight session, Colin Lowry will share insights from Ireland’s national approach to supporting higher education institutions in responding to the rapid emergence of Generative AI in teaching, learning, and assessment.

The session will explore how the Irish Higher Education Authority has worked collaboratively with students, educators, institutional leaders, and wider stakeholders to move beyond immediate reactions toward a more shared and evidence-informed understanding of GenAI’s implications for higher education.
The presentation will highlight how national dialogue, sectoral engagement, and practical guidance can support institutions in addressing questions related to assessment, academic integrity, inclusion, and educational values — while respecting institutional diversity and autonomy.

Drawing on Ireland’s experience, the session will offer a practical example of how collaborative approaches can help higher education institutions engage with AI in ways that are ethical, thoughtful, and responsive to local contexts.

📍 Join us in Porto for EDEN Annual Conference 2026.
⏳ Registration closes on June 1st.

https://eden-europe.eu/event/eden-2026-annual-conference/

🎤 EDEN Porto AC 2026 Keynote Speaker Announcement

We are pleased to announce another keynote speaker for the EDEN Annual Conference 2026 in Porto:

✨ Inge de Waard
Award-winning learning innovator, researcher, and activist, currently serving as AI & Learning Lead for Masters+ at InnoEnergy.

🧠 Keynote title:
“The quest for our own humanity in light of AI”

In her keynote, Inge de Waard will explore how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping education, research, work, and society — and why these rapid transformations require us to reconsider what it means to be human.

The presentation will examine the evolving role of universities in a world increasingly influenced by AI and automation, where intelligent systems can draft, assess, and design educational content, while students themselves turn to AI tools for independent learning. At the same time, the keynote raises important questions about human sense-making, ethical responsibility, inclusion, and the future of meaningful learning and work.

Drawing on her extensive international experience in AI-driven education, blended learning, and innovation ecosystems, Inge de Waard will discuss how universities can help cultivate uniquely human capacities such as judgment, ethical imagination, creativity, and responsibility for one another in an AI-infused world.

We look forward to welcoming her to Porto for what promises to be a thought-provoking and inspiring keynote.

Prof. Luis Paulo Reis
Associate Professor with Habilitation at the University of Porto and Director of LIACC – Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Laboratory.

🧠 Keynote title:
“From Tools to Teammates: Agentic AI and the Future of Human–AI Collaboration in Education”

In this keynote, Prof. Reis will explore how the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence is transforming education through new forms of collaboration between humans and intelligent systems. Moving beyond AI as a passive tool, the presentation will examine the emerging paradigm of Agentic AI — intelligent systems capable of planning, decision-making, adaptation, and goal-oriented action.

The keynote will highlight how agentic architectures can support learner-centred pedagogies, adaptive learning design, and more inclusive educational environments, while emphasising the importance of keeping human values, creativity, and connection at the core of education.

Prof. Reis is an internationally recognised expert in Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Robotics, Multi-Agent Systems, and Educational Games, with more than 500 scientific publications, over 60 scientific awards, and extensive experience leading European and international research projects.

We look forward to welcoming him to Porto for an inspiring discussion on the future of Human–AI collaboration in education.