2026 Edition
Teaching
The SoTL Conference is EHL’s premier annual event dedicated to advancing scholarly teaching practices. It brings together educators, researchers, and academic leaders to explore evidence-based strategies that enhance teaching and learning in hospitality and beyond.
Through paper presentations, interactive workshops, and keynote addresses, the conference creates a platform for rich exchange between EHL faculty and global experts from institutions such as the HES-SO and beyond.
Date:
February 3, 2026
Location:
EHL Campus Lausanne
Partner:
HES-SO
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) invites professionals to share their own experiences, so that others may reflect on their findings and build upon teaching and learning processes. This conference brings together faculty members and researchers from Switzerland and beyond who are interested in conducting research on teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on the importance of collaboration between faculty and students to ensure academic success.
Have you ever felt like you were truly aligned with your students, that the line between you and them had blurred, resulting in learning beyond your expectations? Come along to share your experiences and be prepared to learn about new ways to reinvent the faculty/student relationship.
The objective is to share research projects or innovative activities with others in order to help improve future teaching and learning practices.
Have you ever felt like your students’ attention spans have decreased, resulting in less concentration and participation? Are you struggling to engage your students in the subject matter? Are you competing with Generative AI options that are progressing at lightning speed? For one day, during our SoTL conference, you will be able to slow down and focus on what matters most in higher education, i.e., teaching and learning. In a safe and positive environment, you can share your experiences and learn about new ways to address the most timely and pertinent issues affecting higher education.
| 08.30 - 09.00 |
WELCOME COFFEE |
| 09.00- 09.15 |
Opening Remarks |
| 09.15 - 10.00 | Generative AI in Learning and Assessment: A Practical Tool for Reflection and Dialogue Ms Henrietta Carbonel, UniDistance Suisse Mr Jean-Michel Jullien, UniDistance Suisse |
| 10.10 - 10.50 | Learning AI without AI: Gamified Productive Failure Dr Omar Ballester Gonzalez, EHL Hospitality Business School Mr Quentin Besson, EHL Hospitality Business School |
| 10.50 - 11.15 | COFFEE BREAK |
| 11.15 - 12.15 | Redesign for the AI Era: An Educator Challenge Lab Dr Tatyana Tsukanova, EHL Hospitality Business School |
| 12.15 - 12.45 | AI and Learning: Early Teacher Impressions Dr Thomas Davoine, EHL Hospitality Business School |
| 12.45 - 13.45 | LUNCH BREAK |
| 14.00 - 16.15 | SoTL Project Workshop Led by Dr Laura Zizka, EHL Hospitality Business School |
| 16.15 - 16.30 | Closing Words Dr Laura Zizka, EHL Hospitality Business School |
| 16.30 - 17.15 | APERITIF & NETWORKING |
With more than 20 years of international teaching experience, Dr. Laura Zizka has been a faculty member at EHL since 2002. As an Associate Professor, she teaches Academic Writing and Crisis/Strategic Communication to undergraduate and graduate students. Her teaching philosophy revolves around lifelong learning, application of transferable ‘soft’ skills, and positive social change. Dr. Zizka is the Chair of the Examination Board and is a Peer Pedagogical Coach. She animates seminars and workshops with students and staff on teaching and learning topics. Dr. Zizka is a member of the Swiss Faculty Development Network (SFDN), British Academy of Management (BAM), and Academy of Management (AOM).
Henrietta Carbonel is scientific collaborator
for EDUDL+. She supports teaching teams design for remote learning. Her research focuses on digital education, remote assessment, and generative AI for teaching and learning. Research methods include speculative and collaborative approaches.
Jean-Michel Jullien is head of the Educational Development Unit in Distance Learning (EDUDL+), UniDistance Suisse.
Dr Omar Ballester is Adjunct Professor at EHL and Scientific Advisor at the Swiss National Science Foundation. His academic background bridges machine learning (AI) and Economics of Science. He's an expert in higher education policy, innovation and AI governance. In his teaching practice, he designs experiential learning and game-based activities that immerse students in digitalisation, AI governance and strategic decision-making for the human-centric digital age. A strong advocate of productive failure and learning by doing, he creates environments where students learn through realistic, open ended challenges.
Dr. Tatyana Tsukanova is a researcher and visiting professor at EHL Hospitality Business School, specializing in entrepreneurship, strategy, and data science. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Tartu, Estonia, where she studied institutional complexity and strategic decision-making in international expansion. She has an extensive academic background, including teaching at HEC Lausanne and serving as a visiting scholar at Florida State University.
Dr Thomas Davoine has been working at EHL since 2020, after spending many years doing applied research in economics. He is teaching technical economic topics to students and always curious about new ideas to help students learn.
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