AI comes to campus: Constructor University professors awarded €300,000 grant from German government to study AI in higher education
A joint team of researchers from Constructor University and the University of Göttingen has received €300,000 from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMRTS) (Förderkennzeichen: FK 01DQ25007A) to explore how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) may be used to strengthen German universities. The three-year research project called “KIHo!” will investigate opportunities and recommend best practices for GenAI adoption in German universities, focusing specifically on the areas of administrative efficiency and educational experience.
KIHo! is a joint initiative of Professors Isak Frumin and Christoph Lattemann from Constructor University’s School of Business, Social & Decision Sciences, and includes collaboration with the University of Göttingen’s Centre for Indian Studies. Together, the team will look at existing GenAI uses and adoption by universities and educational institutions in India, one of the world’s early adopters of GenAI. “As a developing economy, India offers valuable insight because it has managed to achieve remarkable advances in its IT and knowledge sectors, despite facing economic hurdles and resource constraints,” explained Prof. Frumin. “We’re interested in learning how countries like India are leveraging AI to increase the value and efficiency of education and alleviate these constraints, because we believe they may hold valuable lessons and opportunities for German universities.”
KIHo! builds on previous groundwork from Professors Frumin and Lattemann, which began last year with creating an international network of partners and scholars investigating AI adoption in higher education. The team presented early joint research results at both Harvard and Cambridge universities this October, and these presentations formed the basis for the BMRTS grant application. At the same time, Prof. Lattemann also secured grant funding from the Confucius Institute in Beijing for a similar project focused on AI adoption in the Chinese context. For this project, he is collaborating with China’s Tsinghua University, widely considered one of the world’s leading institutions in digital innovation.
The KIHo! project is interdisciplinary in scope and will focus on institutional policies, teaching practices, and student experience. The team also plans to engage directly with German universities, with the goal of producing practical recommendations and best practice for GenAI applications that advance accessibility, personalization, and overall effectiveness in higher education. Target deliverables will include a GenAI best-practices handbook, policy guidance, and strengthened international research collaboration.
While public discourse on AI’s arrival in the world of education often centers on the associated risks and fears, such as the potential for cheating, academic misconduct or reduced critical thinking, the KIHo! team is more interested in advancing positive opportunities for innovation and adaptation. “Universities around the world are already grappling with AI in the classroom,” said Prof. Lattemann. “Unfortunately, many are taking a reactive, ‘wait-and-see’ approach. We’re interested in those that are doing the opposite by exploring opportunities proactively, creatively, and with an entrepreneurial mindset. If we can learn from the countries and institutions already experimenting with GenAI at scale, we may be able to help German universities prepare and carve a path towards more responsible, inclusive, and innovative learning.”