prof.dr. O (Omid) Noroozi

Omid Noroozi is a Professor of “Technology-Enhanced Transformative Learning” at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). With his chair, he aims to empower learners to develop the transformative competences (i.e. creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, taking responsibility) needed to adapt to a changing world, navigate complexity, and actively shape a better society. A key pathway toward this goal is hybrid intelligence—the effective and responsible integration of human and artificial intelligence—supported by the development of AI literacy among both students and teachers.

Rapid technological developments, particularly the rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), are transforming how people learn, work, and co-construct knowledge. At the same time, society faces pressing challenges related to sustainability, climate change, food security, health, and social inclusion. Together, these developments call for rethinking how professionals are educated for an increasingly complex world. “Higher education institutions have a responsibility not only to equip students with knowledge and skills,” says Noroozi, “but also to help them become lifelong learners who can navigate complexity, engage critically with intelligent technologies, and contribute meaningfully to society.”

His agenda focuses on three interconnected themes. First, he investigates how technology-enhanced learning environments can be designed to foster durable, adaptable, and transferable competences. Second, he examines the development of AI literacy - particularly GenAI literacy - among students and educators and designs evidence-informed approaches to strengthen these capabilities. Third, he explores how the strengths of human and artificial intelligence can be combined to enhance learning and support the development of transformative competences.

A central ambition of his chair is to move beyond narrow focus on efficiency and performance in education. While intelligent technologies such as GenAI can significantly enhance efficiency and productivity, Noroozi argues that their real value lies elsewhere. “The question is not whether intelligent technologies can help us boost performance or do things faster,” he explains, “but whether and how they help learners think more critically, act more responsibly, strengthen their agency, and make informed decisions.”

“Better performance does not necessarily mean better learning,” he explains. “The real challenge is understanding how intelligent technologies can help learners think more critically, collaborate more effectively, regulate their learning with stronger agency, and acquire the competences to contribute responsibly to society.”