AUAF President Ian Bickford was invited to share an update on AUAF’s progress during the Scholars at Risk 2024 Global Congress, held June 25-27 in partnership with the European Humanities University (EHU) in Vilnius, Lithuania. President Bickford emphasized AUAF’s success in educating young Afghan leaders.
“AUAF and EHU are spaces of great integrity, innovation, creativity, and imagination. Our students, against the grain, are able to communicate across differences and wrestle with complexity. Our faculty may be acclaimed researchers, but they think of themselves as teachers first, and of their teaching as a deep and meaningful activity,” President Bickford said while applauding the scholars’ commitment.
Dr. Victoria Fontan, AUAF Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, also spoke at the event and shared insights on the role of AUAF within the Alliance for the Education of Women in Afghanistan (AEWA), which she co-chairs. Dr. Fontan said, “The Scholars at Risk conference provided a diverse platform to discuss the transformative impact of AEWA’s collaborative efforts in empowering Afghan women through education. Our collective mission, initiated by AUAF, is to ensure that every woman has the opportunity to access and benefit from quality education, which is fundamental to fostering a more equitable and just society.”
The Scholars at Risk network is dedicated to protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom around the world. Its Global Congresses convene leading scholars, advocates, students and professionals to consider issues of academic freedom and related topics.
AUAF thanks Scholars at Risk and EHU for their partnership in our shared mission.
The event commenced with a profound exploration of generative AI, notably the emergence of Chat GPT in November 2022, a groundbreaking application discussed by Mr. Gajre. The presentation unfolded with insightful definitions, explaining artificial intelligence and generative AI while delving into machine learning, deep learning, and AGI.
A key focus of the event was on the capabilities of Chat GPT, exemplified through its proficiency in handling vast amounts of internet data, prompting awe-inspiring performances on various exams. Furthermore, Professor Gajre touched upon the ethical considerations of AI use in classrooms, outlining policies and guidelines for responsible utilization.
The session concluded with Mr. Gajre’s insights into the classroom application of GPT models, providing academic recommendations and policies for students. As the event concluded, students expressed keen interest in learning the capabilities of AI in the academic pursuit.