KAiZEN Collab! is a 1.5-day student-staff AI showcase and LearnHack bringing together King’s staff and students to explore real opportunities and challenges related to AI in teaching, learning, assessment, and university operations.

Supported by King’s Edge and the King's Academy Collab! initiative, the event aims to strengthen student-staff collaboration, showcase interesting uses of AI across the university, and develop practical, scalable ideas with the potential to secure funding beyond the event.  

 

Content category

Inspiration Gallery

Experience a curated exhibition showcasing exciting AI applications and research from our students, staff, and PhD researchers. This serves as the living library allowing Day 2 LearnHack participants to explore and map existing capabilities before they begin their own projects.

Skill-boosting Workshops

Level up your expertise with focused workshops highlighting the digital and skill support available at King’s. These sessions are designed to equip students with the essential knowledge to navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving modern job market. LearnHack participants will also gain the skills needed to nurture their ideas into a scalable, impactful project.

KAiZEN Collab! LearnHack

Join an intensive hackathon designed to cultivate out-of-the-box solutions to existing pedagogical and operational challenges - pre-provided by King's staff. Open to all staff and students - regardless of technical background - this inclusive space welcomes diverse perspectives from every discipline. Technical and institutional consultants will be available at check-in desks to help refine ideas and ensure every proposal is both realistic and achievable. The sprint will conclude with an elevator pitch and Q&A session, where the judging panel will assess the pitches based on key criteria.

Panel Discussion: Student-Staff Partnership & the future of AI in Education

This panel brings staff and students into conversation as equal partners, exploring how co-creation can break down silos and drive real educational change. Together, they will examine how these collaborations can respond to the challenges and opportunities AI brings to higher education, and how they can shape its role across teaching, learning, and the wider institution.

 

 

Attending

This is a free event to attend.

Students

For students, please register here at King's Edge platform from 29 April 2026.

Day 1

Day 2

Staff

For staff, please check out all opportunities in detail and register here from 20 April 2026.

There are many ways for staff members to get involved:

• Be a Problem Statement Partner: Submit your statements - or share with your contact - to help capture real challenges from across the university - Chosen submissions will be transformed into Day 2's KAiZENCollab! hackathon briefs.

• Join us on Day 1 as an Inspiration Gallery Presenter and/or Workshop Mentor.

• Join us on Day 2 as a LearnHack Consultant and/or LearnHack Judge OR LearnHack Participant.

Problem Statement Partner
 Do you have a problem statement you'd like to submit to our LearnHack? We are seeking real, grounded challenges from teaching, learning, operations, student experience, and departmental systems at Kings. These do not need to be framed as AI problems, but AI or digital approaches may be explored where relevant. We aim to select approximately 10 problem statements, ensuring a balance across faculties and themes.

Inspiration Gallery PresenterShowcase how you’re already using AI in teaching, learning, or research as part of the Inspiration Gallery on Day 1. This curated exhibition acts as a living library of ideas, helping Day 2 hackathon participants explore existing work across King’s before developing their own solutions. Presenters will also have the opportunity to engage with students and staff through informal discussions.

Commitment: 11:00 - 16:00 on Day 1 (flexible). You are also more than welcome to stay for the remainder of the event (optional).

Submissions will be curated and selected applicants will be contacted in w/c 18th May.

Workshop Mentor
 Do you have a workshop idea to help students prepare for an AI-driven future? Propose a short, skill-building workshop for Day 1 focused on either technical or pedagogical or transferable themes. The session should aim to equip attendees with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate and succeed in an increasingly challenging modern job market. This role is ideal for those who enjoy facilitating learning, encouraging participation, and helping others build confidence with King's practices, pedagogical approaches and/or AI-related tools. Deadline for workshop proposals: 30 April 2026.

 

Commitment: 10:00 - 14:00 on Day 2. Workshop duration: Approx. 1 hour. Target audience: 10-12. You are also more than welcome to stay for the remainder of the event (optional).

Workshop proposals will be curated and selected applicants will be contacted in w/c 4th May.

LearnHack Consultant
Support hackathon teams during Day 2 by offering subject-matter expertise, guidance, and feedback as they develop their ideas. We are looking for 3 consultants (with expertise in one of the following fields: technical, pedagogical, institutional alignment) to help teams refine their thinking, consider pedagogical and practical implications, and strengthen the overall quality of proposed solutions.

 

Commitment: 10:00 - 14:00 on Day 2. You are also more than welcome to stay for the remainder of the event (optional).

LearnHack applicants will be contacted from w/c 27th April.

 

LearnHack Judge
As a LearnHack judging panel member, you will evaluate LearnHack team presentations of prototypes and conceptual frameworks through their elevator pitch and a short Q&A. You are encouraged to assess submissions based on scalability, creativity, sustainability, and pedagogical value of the proposed solutions.

Commitment: 13:30 - 17:45 on Day 2. You are also more than welcome to stay for the remainder of the event (optional).

OR joining the students:

LearnHack Participant
Take part in the KAiZEN Collab! LearnHack, a hackathon where participants develop creative solutions to real challenges sourced from across King’s. Participants will form interdisciplinary teams of 3-5 and have the opportunity to engage with consultants and mentors throughout the process.

Commitment: This role requires attendance on both days: Day 1 includes team formation, challenge reveal, and access to the Inspiration Gallery and workshops, while Day 2 is dedicated to the intensive hackathon and final pitches. This is a hands-on, team-based experience designed to foster student-staff collaboration, creativity, and practical problem-solving.

To understand the information we need at this stage can be found in our FAQ section.

 

FAQs

1. Who can participate?

KAiZEN Collab! is open to all King’s students (including PhD students) and staff (academic, technical, research, and support) from all disciplines and directorates. No prior AI expertise is required, just curiosity and a willingness to collaborate.

1. What can participants gain from the event?

Beyond opportunities for networking & collaborating within interdisciplinary teams:

Staff can:

- Showcase their current AI-related research & increase its visibility.
- Observe all the sophisticated ways in which students are utilising AI already.
- Gain new insights into creative problem-solving and spark new ideas for teaching improvements and collaborative research.

Students can:
- Propose solutions to the challenges affecting their King’s experience.
- Develop transferrable skills: # problem solving # presentation # teamwork # communication # leadership.
- Winning ideas to receive certificates, goodies & may secure Collab! funding* for further development.
- Gain K-points across a varied selection of workshops and activities.

 

1. Do I need to attend both days?

It depends on your role:

Day 1: Essential for presenters, mentors, and LearnHack participants (refreshments provided)

Day 2: Required for hackathon participants, consultants, and judges (lunch vouchers provided)

We strongly encourage LearnHack participants to attend both days.

1. Do I need technical experience to join?

Not at all. We welcome participants from all backgrounds. Creative, pedagogical, and strategic ideas are just as valuable as technical solutions.

1. What roles can I sign up for as a student?

As a student, you can join as a(n):

Inspiration Gallery Presenter: Showcase your AI-related work, research or application.

Workshop Attendee: Join our Day 1 workshops and gain skills and transferable knowledge.

General Attendee: Attend the keynote speech and visit our Inspiration Gallery (if you change your mind, you can still register as a LearnHack participant).

LearnHack Participant: Join a team and develop a solution to real problems affecting your education and King’s experience.

1. What roles can I sign up for as a member of staff?

There are several ways for staff to participate, including:

Problem Statement Partner: Submit a real challenge for teams to solve during the hackathon

Inspiration Gallery Presenter: Showcase your AI-related work, research or application.

Workshop Mentor: Support participants with skills and guidance.

Workshop Attendee: Join our Day 1 workshops and gain skills and transferable knowledge.

LearnHack Participant: Join a team and develop a solution.

OR

LearnHack Consultant: Provide expert advice during the hackathon

LearnHack Judge: Evaluate final team pitches

1. Can I take on more than one role?
   
   Yes, depending on availability and capacity, you may express interest in multiple roles.

1. Do I need a team to register for the LearnHack?

No, you’re very welcome to register individually. While you’re encouraged to bring along anyone who may be interested, you will also have plenty of opportunities to meet others and form a team during Day 1 of the event.

1. What kind of challenges will we work on?

The LearnHack is an intensive, collaborative hackathon where teams work on real challenges submitted by King’s staff. These challenges focus on AI applications across teaching and learning innovation, student experience, administrative and operational improvements, and wider AI integration across the university.

Contact

For any queries, please contact: Huong Anh Trinh (huong_anh.trinh@kcl.ac.uk) and Faustina Jayaprakash (faustina.1.jayaprakash@kcl.ac.uk)

Get involved in our inaugural community event!

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