Practical Introduction to Artificial Intelligence for University Staff (2nd Edition)

Discover modern AI tools. A hands-on course designed to boost productivity in academic and administrative tasks.

• Course format: Online
• Type of program: E-Skill programme
• Target group: Academic and Non-academic Staff
• Language: English
• Cost: Free
• Available places: 60
• Teaching hours: 30

Deadline for admission is 16 September 2026

Audience

This course is designed for university professionals including academic staff, researchers, and administrative staff who want to use AI tools in a practical and responsible way to improve everyday work (communication, documentation, planning, and decision support), regardless of discipline or role.

Pre-requisites

• B2 or similar level of English is necessary.
• No prior background in computer science, mathematics, or programming is required.
• Basic digital skills (using documents, email, and online tools) are sufficient.
• Curiosity about how AI tools can support everyday work is recommended.
• Interest in improving efficiency, clarity, and quality in university workflows is recommended.

Short Description

This course provides a practical introduction to modern Artificial Intelligence tools and how to use them effectively and responsibly in a university setting. Rather than focusing on theory or complex technical details, it helps participants understand how AI systems behave, how to communicate with them clearly, and how to integrate them into real institutional and professional workflows.

Participants will learn how to use AI to support writing and editing, research and information gathering, knowledge management, and content creation while understanding limitations, reliability risks, data considerations, and the ethical implications relevant to higher education.

Content

1. How AI tools work in practice: capabilities, limitations, and common sources of error. Advance Prompting for professional use. Structured ways to interact with AI in order to obtain useful outputs.
2. Approaches adapted to different tasks and levels of complexity. Use of AI for teaching, research, and administration. Drafting and revising documents, summarizing and structuring information, improving internal communication, and supporting collaboration.
3. Multimodal uses: text, images, and audio. How AI can be integrated into existing workflows, adapted to specific roles, and used responsibly, with attention to ethical considerations relevant to higher education.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

• Use AI tools confidently for administrative tasks or research and teaching activities.
• Write clear prompts and requests that improve the relevance, accuracy, and usability of AI-generated outputs.
• Critically assess AI-generated information and recognize unreliable, incomplete, or incorrect content.
• Apply AI to real situations such as document drafting, knowledge management, and multimedia creation.
• Customize AI tools to personal needs using available settings and automation features.

Duration

30 hours (6 weeks, 5 hours per week)

• 2.5 hours of synchronous online sessions per week.
• 2.5 hours of guided self-study per week.

• 16 September: 11:30 – 14:00 (CEST)
• 23 September: 11:30 – 14:00 (CEST)
• 30 September: 11:30 – 14:00 (CEST)
• 7 October: 11:30 – 14:00 (CEST)
• 14 October: 11:30 – 14:00 (CEST)
• 21 October: 11:30 – 14:00 (CEST)

Assessment

To successfully complete the course, participants are expected to:

• Attend at least 80% of the synchronous sessions.
• Submit the assigned activities.
• Participate actively in in-class dynamics and practical exercises.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this course, register by clicking on the green bar (at the top and the botton of this page during the registration period). 

You will then be taken to the Boost platform to fill in your personal details and complete your pre-registration. 

You must use your institutional account from your home university to book this course, If you do not have one, you must request access credentials to this course Administrative Support team. 

Once you have them, you will be able to log in to Boost and complete your registration. 

Finally, Administrative Support will confirm your registration and provide you with the login details for the online course through which you will be able to take this course.

Administrative Support: [email protected]