Panel Discussion
Human-Centred AI: Empathy, Responsibility and Educational Transformation
Date Thursday, Dec 4 Time – Room: Schöneberg
What does it mean to put people at the heart of AI in education? This session explores human-centred approaches that balance empathy, responsibility, and transformation. From frameworks for business education to institution-wide strategies and hands-on learning design, the speakers will show how AI can support, not replace, human agency. Participants will discover practical ways to embed ethical principles, care, and meaningful engagement into AI-enhanced education, ensuring technology truly serves learners and communities.
Charlotte Von Essen
Pedagogical and Digital Development Lead, Stockholm School of Economics
Dr. Charlotte von Essen is the Pedagogical and Digital Development Lead at the Stockholm School of Economics, where she shapes the future of Business Education through strategic innovation in Faculty support, Edtech, and AI-enhanced pedagogy. With a background spanning Executive Education, Edtech leadership, and curriculum strategy, Charlotte brings a sharp, systems-level lens to how institutions can deliver education that is human-centred, intellectually rigorous, and technologically extended.
Dimitris Tolis
CEO & Lead Advisor, Human Asset (Technologies)
Dimitris Tolis, MSc, MBA, PMP®, PM² is the Founder and CEO of Human Asset, a leading organisation specialising in custom e-learning design and development, AI-powered learning experiences, and training academy advisory. A Senior Instructional Designer, Certified Coach, and AI Researcher at the University of Turku (Finland), Dimitris has over 25 years of experience in Learning & Development, combining evidence-based instructional design, neuroscience insights, and AI innovation to create engaging and results-driven learning ecosystems.
He has led the design of numerous interactive, gamified, and AI-enhanced e-learning solutions for private and public organisations worldwide, including European Union agencies and institutions such as the EUAA, EUDA, CEPOL, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations/ITU.
Anné Verhoef
Director of the NWU AI Hub and Professor in Philosophy, North-West University
Anné H. Verhoef is a professor in Philosophy and Director of the North-West University (NWU) AI Hub. He holds a PhD from the University of Stellenbosch and from the Free University in Amsterdam. His research interests are, amongst others, ethics, artificial intelligence and academic integrity, and the philosophy of happiness. He published various academic articles on academic integrity in Higher Education. He is the co-founder and former associate editor of the academic journal Transformation in Higher Education. He is also the co-founder of AICSA – the Artificial Intelligence Circle in South Africa for Higher Education.
Paul V Venter
IB Coordenator, BISS
Paul V Venter is an IB Continuum Workshop Leader, IB Coordinator, and award-winning mathematics educator, recognised by the Ministry of Education in Norway for his contributions to mathematics and its teaching. With over 20 years of experience in teaching and learning across international schools in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, he is passionate about student-centred teaching and empowering educators to break free from misconceptions about visible learning. Paul focuses on fostering positive math cultures and exploring the role of AI in education. He is the author of Cutting Through the Clutter: A Teacher’s Guide to the Age of AI and is committed to helping educators create meaningful, future-ready learning experiences.
Moderator
Margaret Korosec
Director of Digital Education and Learning Innovation, University of Leeds
Margaret Korosec is a forward-thinking and strategic leader in open, online, and professional learning, known for her human-centred approach and ability to scale bringing creativity, intentionality, and systems perspective to her leadership in scaling open, online and professional education. As Dean of Online and Digital Education at the University of Leeds in the UK, Margaret holds academic and strategic responsibility for advancing the institution’s online degrees and flexible learning portfolio. She has championed scalable, inclusive models for online course design and led efforts to build resilient and sustainable in-house capabilities ensuring a seamless end-to-end student experience from application through to graduation. Prior to her current role, Margaret made significant contributions to the expansion of online degree portfolios at the University of Derby Online Learning and Western Governors University (WGU). Witnessing the transformative power of inclusive, accessible and flexible education on individuals’ lives and communities solidified her dedication to advancing online and flexible learning initiatives.