NEWS Suzanne Brink was invited recently to deliver the keynote speech "Shifting Curriculum Perspectives when co-designing [next-gen] engineering curricula that can constantly evolve“ at the hybrid CDIO Regional Meeting 2026 conference, held at D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University. The conference theme was "Next-Gen Engineering: The New Triad of Academia, Industry and AI”.
Suzanne Brink speaking at the Asian CDIO ARM Conference 2026.
Based on her research on curriculum agility, curriculum perspectives, and learning-centred curriculum design, Suzanne addressed the supercomplexity of educating students for an unpredictable future, in times of Generative AI. She showed the different meanings, perspectives, attitudes, and worries about genAI of educators in higher education. For this she had created relatable teacher personas, ranging from the cautious Think-Twice Leo, Follow-the-Rules Ron, and Jump-Right-In Cleo to Reciprocal-Learning Minded Lina.
These teachers struggled with questions of how to persuade students to slow down the learning in how they approach assignments, to reciprocally explore opportunities and limitations of GenAI and its effect on the learning, and what learning and unlearning is needed of themselves. But from their different perspectives on what good education entails, different and often contradictory answers are formed.
In line with Ron Barnett’s "4th Pedagogic Option” for educating for an unknown future, Suzanne advocated for more attention to developing students' core human dispositions, such as thoughtfulness, humility, resilience, and courage, in higher education, rather than focusing solely on disciplinary knowledge and generic 21st century skills. After touching upon the challenges of teaching this to Generation Z students, she finished with indicating which Curriculum Agility Principles were important to be ready for this kind of change in the wider higher education institution’s organisation.
If you are interested in discussing such matters, feel free to get in contact with Suzanne.
