Student Speaker Slot Application: Showcase Debate on AI in Higher Education
Applications close: 25th September
An Oxford-style stage debate on artificial intelligence.
Students are already using GenAI to study, write, code (and cheat, oops!), while universities struggle to redefine teaching, assessment, and academic integrity to adequately prepare students. What is the solution? An outright ban?
This Oxford-style debate presents two opposing views on one controversial motion: “This House Believes That AI should never be used within Higher Education.” We’re bringing a philosopher, computer scientists, a policy expert, and your fellow students together to go head-to-head! Join us to hear their views, share your own, and vote for which arguments you find the most compelling!
Should We Ban AI in Higher Education? has been co-organized by Young AI Leaders Linz and the Central European University Vienna's FWF Cluster of Excellence Knowledge in Crisis, in partnership with Blue Danube Speakers (Toastmasters Linz) and the FWF Cluster of Excellence Bilateral AI.
Applications close: 25th September
Final selection: 26th-28th September
Speech drafting: 28th September - 4th October (expert feedback will be provided to you by our coach from the blue danube speakers club,
Niklas Baumgärtler, and revisions to your speech can continue up to the event day!)
Live test with the blue danube speakers club in Linz: 12th October (Monday, 19:00 - 21:00 | Location: Tabakfabrik Linz)
Revision round: two (optional) online sessions for you to improve your speech further with our coach Niklas.
Showtime! 22nd of October
Venue: Zirkus des Wissens (near the Mensa) and a post-debate socials
Date and Time: 22nd of October 2026, 5:10pm-9:00pm
Format: Two sides, the Proposition (for) and the Opposition (against) debate the motion below. Each speaker delivers a prepared speech for 5 minutes. The main debate session will be followed by an Audience Q&A and a brief vote held once at the end.
Motion: “This House Believes That AI should never be used within Higher Education.”
Audience: Aimed at students, academics, university communities, debate clubs, public-speaking societies, and others interested in AI, education, ethics, and academic life.
The Speaking Opportunity: Selected student speakers will deliver a prepared 5-minute speech on either the proposition or opposition side (subject to organizer's preference). They may also be invited to take part in audience Q&A. Speakers should be prepared to present a clear, reasoned, engaging, and respectful argument suitable for a live audience.
Who can apply: Students from Central European University (through the opportunity email you received), students from the Johannes Kepler University Linz, students from other Austrian Universities and tertiary institutes (no travel support will be provided for this group!)
Our Expert Speaker List (and your team members...)
• Tim Crane is Pro-Rector for Foresight and Analysis and Professor of Philosophy at CEU and former Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge.
• Anamaria-Roberta Hartl is a PhD candidate at the JKU's Institute for Machine Learning and a member of the Bilateral Artificial Intelligence (BilAI) project, an FWF Cluster of Excellence.
• Dr. Erich Kobler is Assistant Professor for Machine/ Deep Learning in Medical Imaging at the JKU's Institute for Machine Learning and a member of the Bilateral Artificial Intelligence (BilAI) project, an FWF Cluster of Excellence.
• Bram van Haver is the lead Project Officer for UNESCO's flagship global intercultural leadership programme, "Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme".
Rules for Student Speakers
• Selected student speakers must prepare a 5-minute speech.
• Speakers may represent either the proposition (for, i.e. AI should never be used within Higher Education!) or the opposition (against, i.e. AI should be used within Higher Education!).
• Speakers should deliver a clear and well-reasoned speech with a (personally) nuanced perspective.
• Speeches should be persuasive, accessible to a general university audience (in English), and respectful of opposing views.
• Avoid reading a generic essay; prepare a speech suitable for live delivery (humour and controversy are welcomed!).
• Speakers must stay within the time limit (a bell will be used to signal the last minute of speaking time).
• Selection will be based on the strength, clarity, originality, relevance, and balance of the proposed speech.
Submissions and speeches must not include:
• Personal attacks, harassment, or targeted abuse
• Hate speech or discriminatory content
• Defamation or unsupported accusations against named individuals/organisations
• Incitement to violence or unlawful conduct
• Deliberate misinformation or fabricated evidence
• Disclosure of private/confidential information
• Plagiarised or AI-generated material presented dishonestly
• Content that is primarily promotional, unserious, or unrelated to the motion