Responsible AI Symposium
Oct 5, 2026 — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Why attend?
This event brings together experts from the University of Ottawa and other institutions to explore the evolving landscape of responsible AI in higher education. Participants will gain practical insights into the policies, frameworks, and considerations that support trustworthy AI adoption.
- AI Literacy: Strengthen your understanding of AI and its impact on higher education.
- Responsible Practices: Learn about privacy, data governance, transparency, accountability, equity, and inclusion.
- Engaging Discussions: Hear diverse perspectives and participate in conversations that connect AI principles to real-world applications.
Whether you are beginning to explore AI or looking to deepen your understanding, this workshop offers an opportunity to deepen your understanding, ask questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue about responsible AI.
Discover innovation on campus
Throughout the event, visit interactive booths and attend lightning presentations highlighting AI initiatives and support services developed across uOttawa
Who should attend
This event is designed for the University of Ottawa academic community, including:
- Faculty and instructors
- Academic leaders and administrators
- Students and educational innovators
Please note: There is no virtual attendance option. Space is limited, and early registration is encouraged. Lunch is not provided.
Agenda
8:30 A.M. - Registration & Coffee 9:00 A.M. - Opening remarks (bilingual) - Daniel Trottier 9:15 A.M. - AI in Higher Education (BIL/online) - Mark J. Daley 10:15 A.M. - Coffee break 10:30 A.M. - Trustworthy AI in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice (EN) - Mohammad Sadegh Aalizadeh 10:50 A.M. - Legal Implications of AI (FR) - Karen Eltis 11:15 A.M. - Ethics and Human Values (EN) - Channarong Intahchomphoo & Kevin P. Kuipers 12:15 P.M. - Lunch 1:15 P.M. - Feed the Machine: Le message de 16h42 (FR) - Ann-Louise Davidson 2:00 P.M. - Education and AI: When History Illuminates Practice (FR) - Emmanuel Duplàa 2:45 P.M. - Networking session (BIL) · IT staff 3:30 P.M. - Panel discussion (BIL) · AD, CI, IP, DT 4:15 P.M. - Closing remarks (BIL) - Ilva Peci |
Sadegh Aalizadeh
Currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in digital transformation and innovation with the Univ
Sadegh Aalizadeh is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in digital transformation and innovation with the University of Ottawa, Canada. His research experience includes work in human-oriented software engineering, ethical AI design, and AI policy. He is also a member of the Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) Laboratory, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, where he contributes to various academic projects. He is also a contributing fellow of the AI and Faith Consortium, His current research interests include the application of knowledge graphs and semantic technologies for responsible AI governance, with a focus on use cases in finance and cybersecurity.
Channarong Intahchomphoo
Adjunct Professor in the School of Engineering Design and Teaching Innovation at the Unive
Channarong Intahchomphoo is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Engineering Design and Teaching Innovation at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering. His teaching and research focus on AI ethics and responsible innovation.
Kevin Kuipers
Secondary teacher and current Master's of Interdisciplinary AI student at uOttawa
Kevin Kuipers is a secondary teacher and current Master's of Interdisciplinary AI student at uOttawa. He has worked extensively with First Nations communities across Canada as an outdoor educator, researcher and author of multiple books focused on ecology, history and geography through an Indigenous lens. He has recently taken a particular interest in the impacts of AI on education including the increasing trend of cognitive reliance on LLM tools.
Ann-Louise Davidson
Professor in the Department of Education and Director of Innovation Lab at Concordia Uni.
Ann-Louise Davidson, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Education and Director of the Innovation Lab at Concordia University. Her work centers on creative, collaborative, and hands-on learning experiences that blur the line between making and understanding. Through projects ranging from building robotic creatures to exploring artificial intelligence through play, she encourages learners to imagine possibilities beyond what already exists.
Recognized for her playful yet rigorous approach to serious ideas, Ann-Louise integrates innovation, creativity, and compassion in her work, helping to shape futures that are inclusive, regenerative, and deeply human.
Emmanuel Duplàa
Full Professor Director of Programmes PDP
Emmanuel Duplàa is a researcher in educational technology whose work focuses on the relationships between digital innovation, learning, and teacher education. His background, at the intersection of mathematics, cognitive sciences, psychoanalysis, and education, has led him to develop an approach centered on the connections between technology, learning, and the transformation of teaching practices. His research on online learning and connectivism highlights the importance of interaction and collaboration in digital learning environments. Another major area of his work concerns digital literacies and citizens’ ability to develop a critical understanding of technology through the use of artificial intelligence and the development of 21st-century skills. He has also contributed to the study of serious games and educational video games as tools for motivation and learning. Within the Faculty of Education, he has promoted a nuanced perspective on technological innovation, particularly regarding artificial intelligence. His main contribution is demonstrating that the educational value of technology depends on the pedagogical, social, and institutional practices that accompany its use.
Mark J. Daley
Chief AI Officer at Western University (Canada)
Mark is the Chief AI Officer at Western University (Canada) and a Professor in the Department of Computer Science with cross-appointments in five other departments, The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, and The Western Institute for Neuroscience. He is also a faculty affiliate of Toronto's Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
Mark's current work focuses on AI governance and science diplomacy, with particular attention to how middle powers can navigate technological competition through strategic cooperation. In 2025, he completed training at France's Institut national du service public (INSP) and the Académie diplomatique et consulaire, and helped lead the R7+ summit of G7 research leaders. His policy research on realist innovation diplomacy and AI diplomacy has been published through the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and has been cited in outlets including Politico and The Globe and Mail.
Mark was named in Maclean's "Power List 2024" of the top 100 Canadians shaping the country and in Constellation Research's AI150, a list of the 150 top global executives leading AI transformation efforts. In October 2024, he was appointed the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Scholar in Residence in Artificial Intelligence.
He has previously served as Vice-President (Research) at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), and Chief Digital Information Officer, Special Advisor to the President, and Associate Vice-President (Research) at Western.
Karen Eltis
Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa
Karen Eltis is a full professor of Law at the University of Ottawa and a member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. Recently awarded the Mundell Medal by the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario for excellence in legal writing and innovation, Eltis specializes in artificial intelligence and cyberlaw from a comparative perspective, with a focus on democratic institutions and access to justice. She served as senior advisor to the National Judicial Institute and has taught at Columbia Law School.
She is a past affiliate with Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy and is fluent in five languages. Prior to joining the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, Professor Eltis was a litigation associate in New York City.
Her research on privacy was cited multiple times by the Supreme Court of Canada, (in A.B. v. Bragg (2012), Quebec (Attorney General) v. 9147-0732 Québec inc. (2020), and Sherman Estate v. Donovan (2021)) as well as by other Canadian and foreign courts. Eltis’ book, titled Courts, Litigants and the Digital Age ( University of Toronto Press) is in its second edition. She also co-edits Defamation Law, Canada, UK, Australia, United States, Thomson Reuters. This landmark text, which addresses new developments including cyberdefamation and deep fakes, is highly regarded and cited in over 400 legal cases across Canada.