Our priorities for Northern Ireland 2025-26
We aim to strengthen digital capability, promote the adoption of artificial intelligence and enhance community and stakeholder engagement in Northern Ireland.
Priority one: building Northern Ireland’s digital capability
Increase take-up and use of our digital capability tools and associated advice and guidance.
What good looks like:
- Increased take-up and use of the building digital capability discovery tool
- Increased awareness of our advice and guidance offer across our members in Northern Ireland
Priority two: artificial intelligence
Through our support and sector leadership, Northern Ireland’s colleges and universities grow their effective, efficient and confident use of appropriate artificial intelligence (AI) across their institutional activity.
What good looks like:
- We promote the sharing of effective practice in AI use amongst Northern Ireland’s colleges and universities
- We contribute to three sector events on support for effective AI use in Northern Ireland’s colleges and universities
- Publication of at least two case studies involving the use of AI in Northern Ireland’s colleges and universities, covering institutional strategy and policy, raising staff AI capability and the development of learner AI skills
Priority three: growing community and stakeholder engagement
Build upon existing community and stakeholder engagement to ensure our planning and delivery are aligned with Northern Ireland’s needs, for the future of education and research.
What good looks like:
- Regular constructive engagement with relevant contacts at our funder, the Department for the Economy
- All Northern Ireland members represented at the National Engagement Forum, with a broad representation of relevant college and university functions taking part
- Regular community-based engagement with IT, libraries and learning technology related groups in Northern Ireland