Invitation to participate in global survey:

How does AI impact on equitable access and success in higher education?

Subject: Invitation to participate in global survey: How does AI impact on equitable access and success in higher education?

Good morning,

Hope you are well.

I would like to invite you to take part in the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN)’s AI & Equitable Access and Success in Higher Education: Policy survey, a global research initiative supported by the Lumina Foundation.

Launched in December 2024 and supported by both the World Bank and UNESCO, WAHEN is a global network dedicated to addressing inequalities in access, participation, and success in higher education. Bringing together universities, governments, NGOs, foundations, researchers, and private-sector organisations, WAHEN combines international collaboration, policy engagement, and research to advance understanding of higher education equity and support evidence-informed action.

This project forms part of the first major global study focused specifically on the relationship between artificial intelligence and equitable access, participation, and success in higher education. Through this survey, we are seeking perspectives from policymakers, sector leaders, and experts across the world on how AI technologies are influencing higher education systems and their potential implications for educational equity.

At a time when equitable access and student success are under increasing ideological and financial pressure, AI technologies present both significant opportunities and serious risks. While they have the potential to widen participation and support learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, they may also introduce or reinforce existing inequalities. Capturing informed, country-specific perspectives is therefore essential to building a robust and globally relevant understanding of these impacts.

Your contribution is particularly important in reflecting the current position, policy environment, and lived realities within your country. The short survey (approximately 3–4 minutes) invites you to share:

  • Your views on whether AI tools and associated technologies are supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds or hindering equity efforts
  • Your insights into current policies governing the use of AI tools in your country

By contributing, you will help ensure that this global evidence base accurately represents diverse national contexts and informs more equitable approaches to the use of AI in higher education

➤ Take the AI policy and impact survey here: https://forms.gle/dTL6iwQPen7UsHnT9

The survey is on Google Forms and can be completed on mobile devices; however, we suggest using a computer for easier reading.

The survey results will feed into a new report which will be launched at a hybrid global conference taking place at the University of the Western Sydney, Australia on 24th November – part of the celebrations for this year’s World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED).

 We are also surveying those who work in higher educational institutions, on the direct impact of AI on equity for students in their own organisations. If you, or your networks, work directly with students we would like to encourage you to complete the more extensive HEI survey which invites you to share: 

  •  How AI tools and related technologies many be being utilized to impact equity and success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Your opinions and insights on the success of these tools, and any obstacles to use that have been encountered

 ➤ Take the HEI survey here: https://forms.gle/MKzR4V3bhNyGxv9t8

WAHED is an annual opportunity for individuals and organisations worldwide to come together to raise global awareness around inequalities in higher education access and success, and to catalyse action at the international, regional and local levels. This year, WAHEN Members will be able to access WAHED26xEPHEA: Sydney, WAHED26: Africa and WAHED26: Europe and the Americas for free.

➤ For more information on upcoming WAHEN events, please visit: All events | WAHEN

Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise, and please forward this invitation to colleagues who work within higher education, access and equity policy or associated programmes. If you have any questions regarding the survey, feel free to contact Imogen Breen at imogen.breen@uwl.ac.uk.

Best wishes,
Graeme 

Professor Graeme Atherton
Director, World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN)
Vice-Principal, Ruskin College, Oxford
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Regional Engagement)
University of West London