Learning and Teaching the Effective and Ethical use of AI

23 January 2026

Professor Baback Yazdani, Executive Dean, Nottingham Business School at NTU and Vice-Chair of the Organisational Transformation & AI Advisory Board of EFMD looks at how business schools need to approach the introduction of AI to their schools.

Everybody is talking about AI, and in particular how AI is transforming everything we do - changing or replacing activities, jobs, and more. Generative AI (GenAI) is being adopted at an unprecedented rate, with businesses worldwide integrating it into workflows and creating new service models. The traditional graduate jobs market is being affected by this rapid change. Business Schools, and universities in general, therefore need to rethink their educational models to prepare graduates who are not just proficient in their subject area but also able to use AI effectively and ethically. 

Universities must equip students with a deep understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of AI, and our curriculum should evolve to emphasise practical applications, effective use, ethical considerations, and the development of critical thinking and creative problem-solving alongside technical skills.

To do this, universities must train our colleagues (both faculty and professional services) in how to use AI, and how to teach its use, and how to integrate AI into assessment, as well as assess and provide feedback on the work of students with the use of AI.

We have therefore created a holistic training programme encompassing the above for all our colleagues at Nottingham Business School (NBS) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). Our colleagues at the University have also created an online module, which is now part of our essential learning for students and staff. Colleagues are currently in the process of integrating the effective and ethical use of AI into their curriculum. The approach stresses the importance of critical evaluation of GenAI outputs due to potential biases and inaccuracies. Students need to be trained to fact-check AI-generated content and protect data security, learning not to share personal or institutional intellectual property with GenAI platforms. Ethical use and governance mechanisms are being developed for both educational and research purposes, aligning with tightening regulations (e.g., EU rules on GenAI).

Alongside technical proficiency, the approach prioritises the cultivation of empathy, creativity, and critical thinking - skills essential for leadership and effective GenAI implementation. Programmes are designed to integrate these soft and human skills, as our community of employers has told us that the use of AI makes it more important for graduates to possess these qualities.

It is also essential that we maintain a continuous dialogue with technology providers, employers, our students, and other academic institutions to ensure that the approach remains relevant and responsive to technological advances.

This approach is holistic, combining practical application, ethical frameworks, and soft skills development to prepare graduates for the evolving demands of the international business community.