AI, Technology, and Adult Learning Take Centre Stage at LSST’s 2025 Research Symposium
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 19 September 2025
LSST hosted its 2025 Research Symposium at LSST Wembley, welcoming over 250 academics, researchers, students and industry leaders from Jisc and Microsoft to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are transforming employability for adult learners.
Organised by LSST’s Research Centre, in collaboration with LSST’s Wembley campus, the biennial event reflected LSST’s forward-looking mission to engage critically with the most pressing educational and societal challenges of our time.
Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, CEO at LSST, observed: “This Symposium reflects our institutional commitment to staying ahead of the curve. As the world of work transforms at pace, LSST is determined to prepare not just graduates but adaptable future-fit professionals. Our student and staff prize winners demonstrate the insightful, impactful research that shapes both our academic identity and our societal purpose.”
Dr Chinedu (Ned) Uwabuike, Chair of LSST’s Research Services Council, said: “As the globe shrinks with growing interconnectivity and innovations, as well as the rapidly evolving world of work, LSST, as a forward-looking and transformative institution, is not lost in this reality. The 2025 LSST Research Symposium provides a space to reflect, learn and look ahead to embracing the new normal within the framework of knowledge transfer partnerships on theory and practice.”
Theme and Keynotes
LSST’s Research Centre guided the symposium through the theme “Digital Transformation and Employability: AI, Technology and the Impact on Adult Learners.” It opened with words of welcome from Mr Mohammad Haider, Academic Dean at Wembley, and Charlie Tennant, LSST’s Vice Principal, followed by keynote contributions from Robin Ghurbhurun, Managing Director (Education and Skills) at Jisc, Dan Figueiredo, Director, Global Channel (Technology Strategy) at Microsoft, Lily Satterthwaite, Regional Lead at Microsoft and Bryan Sutton, Director at Technical Global Sales.
Syed Rizvi, Academic Dean of LSST Elephant and Castle and LSST Stratford and Dean of Learning and Teaching, speaking at the event, said: “The interventions frame the day as a dialogue between higher education and industry, reinforcing the need for research-informed strategies to prepare our students for an AI-driven workplace.”
Research Papers
Nine full research papers showcased the breadth of inquiry across LSST’s campuses, highlighting critical intersections between technology, employability and higher education.
- AI and Employability: Kiran Arooje, Lecturer in Business and PAT Coordinator at LSST Luton, Hararia Ijaz, Lecturer in Business at LSST Luton, and external researchers Muhammad Maaz Ul Haq, Syeda Manal Fatima, Zill e Huma, Memoona Sajid presented a large-scale survey exploring AI adoption among adult learners. Their findings revealed that employability outcomes are strongly mediated by skill development and moderated by technological readiness, emphasising the dual necessity of digital literacy and professional agility.
- Ethical Leadership in the AI Era: Dr Elaheh Barzegar, Graduate Trainee Lecturer at LSST Wembley, interrogated students’ understandings of ethical leadership, calling for curriculum innovation that embeds integrity and governance as AI tools reshape both learning and workplace practice.
- Digital Readiness of Non-Traditional Learners: Elise Mumbanga, Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator, LSST Luton, Dr Leanne Thi Thao Oanh Bach, Lecturer in Business and Module Leader, LSST Elephant and Castle; and Olusola Leighe, Lecturer in Business, LSST Elephant and Castle, examined how AI is redefining the role of educators – from knowledge transmitters to mentors and facilitators of digital resilience.
- Health, Wellbeing and Student Engagement: Further papers investigated health literacy, the psychosocial impacts of digital learning and how the higher education sector can better support students navigating the dual pressures of technology adoption and personal wellbeing.
LSST staff paper winners
1st Prize: Dr Elaheh Barzegar: Investigating Key Factors Affecting Students’ Understanding of Ethical Leadership in UK Higher Education.
2nd Prize: Olusola Leighe, Dr Leanne Thi Thao Oanh Bach, Elise Mumbanga: The Influences of Artificial Intelligence on Non-Traditional Learners in UK Higher Education: What are the Evolving Roles of Adult Educators?
3rd Prize: Dr Imarhiagbe, Dr Idris-Usman, Dr Demehin, Ms Pokuboye-Amakiri: Student Perception of AI Use in Education: Implications for Educational Gain Frameworks and Employability.
Together, the powerful research papers painted a compelling picture of digital transformation and how it can enhance employability only when underpinned by targeted skills training, ethical awareness and inclusive pedagogical support.
Developmental Papers
Three developmental papers advanced practical and experimental approaches to AI in higher education. LSST research colleagues presented on AI-assisted feedback systems, wellbeing-focused digital interventions and core strategies for preparing adult learners for the uncertainties of a technologically fluid job market. Such papers highlighted a need for continuous pedagogical adaptation and a research culture responsive to student realities.
Student Posters as Emerging Scholarship
Nine final-year student posters enriched the symposium, exemplifying LSST’s commitment to embedding research across the student journey. Topics ranged from health literacy and digital learning environments to globalisation, wellbeing and gender roles.
The following student researchers were honoured with awards for excellence in research at LSST:
- 1st Prize: Shanaz Begum, a Health and Wellbeing student from LSST Birmingham — Factors Affecting University Students’ Engagement in Risky Behaviour and its Impact on Self-Care
- 2nd Prize: Alina Zisu, a Business Management student from LSST Luton — Digital Transformation and Adult Learners
- 3rd Prize: Alessandro D’Agostino, a Health and Social Science student from LSST Wembley — Exploring the Perceptions of Gender Roles amongst LSST Business Students
These awards reflect LSST’s ethos of building a research-informed student community capable of engaging critically with the complexities of contemporary society.
Charlie Tennant, Vice Principal at LSST, who acted as a symposium panellist for the presentations, discussed broad institutional responsibilities: “Technology and AI aren’t just changing tools – they redefine roles. At LSST, our responsibility is to empower educators as much as students, equipping both with the right skills and resilience. I’m inspired by the research and innovation I’ve seen and it signals that our students and staff are not just participating in the future – they’re shaping it.”
From LSST’s Research Centre, Dr Maryam Shehu Idris-Usman, Academic Team Lead, Research Centre Coordinator and Senior Lecturer, reflected: “We must build bridges between theory and practice. The insights shared today affirm that adult learners thrive where opportunity, support and flexibility converge. LSST’s Research Symposium isn’t just an event – it is a declaration that every learner deserves to succeed in tomorrow’s job market.”
Looking Ahead
“The 2025 LSST Research Symposium reaffirmed the institution’s strategic vision: to integrate research, teaching excellence, and employability in ways that serve both learners and society”, commented Dr Wendy Wigley, Head of Student Lifecycle and Partnerships at LSST. “By creating a platform where theoretical insight meets practical application, LSST continues to demonstrate its commitment to inclusive and transformative education.”
Related research news:
LSST Wembley Academic to Present AI and Ethics Research at Oxford University Conference
LSST Elephant and Castle Business Lecturers Herald Pioneering Research on Generative AI and Hybrid Service-Learning
For additional information or interviews with the researchers, please direct questions to LSST’s Public Relations Manager via kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.
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