Prestigious international education conference held in UK for the first time
Last week, IEEE’s Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) 2025 was held at Queen Mary University of London, the first time the conference was held in the UK. This is a flagship event of the IEEE Education Society.
Educon attendees in front of the Queen's Building
Chaired by Dr Usman Naeem, Reader in Computer Science Education at Queen Mary, the event provided a platform for over 430 engineering educators, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world to gather and discuss the latest in engineering education and research.
One of EDUCON’s main aims is to address and debate topics which are important to engineering education, and this year was no different. With a theme of “Sustaining Educational Excellence in Engineering: Generative AI in Enhancing Critical Thinking and Active Learning”, this year’s conference focused on the impact of Generative AI tools on education in engineering.
Through thought-provoking keynote addresses, presentations on new research, engaging workshops, technical sessions and discussions, delegates discussed the impact and pitfalls of Generative AI on engineering education including student engagement, teaching methods, and how it can be harnessed for the benefit of students, educators and employers.
The conference was officially opened by Professor Colin Bailey, CBE, President and Principal of Queen Mary. An engineer by background, during his opening remarks Professor Bailey spoke about the importance of embracing technology when educating today's students.
He said: "At Queen Mary, we are passionate about and committed to opening the doors of opportunity to students from all backgrounds and providing them with an outstanding education. This includes embracing new technologies like AI and teaching students how to benefit from these technologies, while being aware of the bias they can hold and the dangers of relying solely on them. That’s why I am incredibly proud that Queen Mary was chosen as the first university in the UK to hold EDUCON, as it recognises not only our excellence in AI, but also our commitment to providing our students with an excellent, well-rounded education.”
Dr Usman Naeem, Reader in Computer Science Education at Queen Mary and EDUCON 2025 General Chair said: “With a long history of pushing the boundaries of knowledge while fostering a diverse and global community, Queen Mary stands as a beacon of academic excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. For me, this made it the perfect place to host EDUCON, a conference which brings together educators, researchers, and practitioners who are commitment to advancing engineering education for all.
“As a graduate myself, I know first-hand the excellent education students who attend Queen Mary receive. Now, as an educator there, I’m dedicated to providing my engineering students with that same outstanding, future-focused education. A key aspect of this is ensuring that, as educators, we not only embrace new technologies but also lead the way in ensuring they enhance students’ learning rather than replace essential skills, a topic which was well discussed and debated at this conference.”
Another first for the conference was the Women in Engineering poster session, which presented submissions based on STEM education and women’s enablement through teaching strategies, workplace frameworks, policies, and case studies that support women’s access, success, and retention in engineering education and academia.
During the conference the EDUCON Meritorious Service Award was presented to Dr Susan Lord from the University of San Diego, while keynote speakers Professor Rupert Wegerif (University of Cambridge) and Tahir Ahmed, Vice President of Customer Delivery and Operations for Europe, Nokia also received awards.
IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, is comprised of members who inspire a global community through conferences, technology standards, highly cited publications and professional and educational activities. 2025 marks the 16th annual EDUCON conference and the first time the conference took place in the UK.