{"id":189,"date":"2025-11-26T11:27:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T11:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/?p=189"},"modified":"2025-11-26T11:27:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T11:27:36","slug":"meet-the-member-ibukun-joy-lawal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/2025\/11\/26\/meet-the-member-ibukun-joy-lawal\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Member: Ibukun Joy Lawal."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Human-Centred Leadership Unlocks the True Potential of AI in Universities.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 Ibukun is currently pursuing a PhD with a focus on leadership and artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education, Ibukun is passionate about understanding the human side of technological change. For Ibukun, curiosity is more than a trait\u2014it\u2019s a driving force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been drawn to understanding the \u201cwhy\u201d behind human behaviour and social structures, and a PhD offered the perfect opportunity to explore these questions in depth while contributing new insights to my field….My inspiration came from a deep curiosity about the increasing development in Artificial Intelligence governance, communication, leadership, organisational change and culture, and how it shapes future of work and experiences.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Her academic journey began at Ajayi Crowther University in Nigeria, where she studied History and International Studies. This foundation in qualitative methodology laid the groundwork for her later studies in Human Resource Management and Business Administration, where she deepened her interest in organisational behaviour and change management. \u201cThese experiences not only honed my research skills but also sparked my commitment to bridging academic theory with practical impact.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Research Home at NUSC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawn to NUSC\u2019s interdisciplinary ethos, Ibukun found a research community that values collaboration and innovation. \u201cNUSC stood out to me because of its collaborative and interdisciplinary environment\u2026 It\u2019s a space where ideas can evolve freely and where support for early-career researchers is genuinely meaningful.\u201d<\/em> What she values most? The people. \u201cI love the sense of community. I love that there are regular events that one can participate in which I find helpful as an early career researcher.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Human Side of AI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Ibukun\u2019s research asks a timely and critical question: \u201cHow do leadership and follower dynamics influence the successful adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education?\u201d <\/strong>Her thesis explores how trust, communication, and shared vision between leaders and their teams shape the success\u2014or failure\u2014of AI implementation in universities. Using a mixed-methods approach<\/strong>, Ibukun combines qualitative interviews with university leaders and staff, and quantitative surveys to uncover both personal and organisational insights.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cMany people assume that AI adoption in higher education is mainly about technology, choosing the right tools or systems. But what often surprises people is how much the human element matters. My research shows that leadership style, trust, and the relationship between leaders and followers can make or break successful AI implementation. It\u2019s not just about having innovative technology; it\u2019s about whether people feel empowered, supported, and confident enough to engage with it. In many ways, the success of AI in universities depends far more on people than on the machines themselves<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ibukun is about to begin data collection and is preparing a paper on trust and perceived fairness in AI adoption<\/strong>. She\u2019s also eager to collaborate with others working on digital transformation, leadership, and organisational culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUltimately, I want my research to bridge the gap between technological advancement and organisational readiness.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to collaborate? Contact Ibukun via email – I.Lawal@gre.ac.uk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Thesis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she\u2019s not immersed in research, Ibukun enjoys movies, learning new languages, and picking up new hobbies\u2014activities that help her recharge and spark fresh ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if she could collaborate with anyone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to collaborate with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie\u2026 A collaboration with them would be both intellectually stimulating and personally meaningful.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to learn more about how NUSC researchers are shaping the future of cities, systems, and society?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look out for more #MeetTheMember stories and behind-the-scenes insights into the people powering urban innovation. Follow us on Linkedin<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disclosure: <\/strong>This blog post was drafted and polished with the assistance of AI tools to enhance clarity, structure, and engagement. All content has been reviewed and approved by the author and named lead researcher to ensure accuracy and alignment with the intended message.<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
#MeetTheMember #NUSCVoices #AIinHigherEd #LeadershipMatters #DigitalTransformation #HumanCentredAI #PhDLife #UrbanSystems #ResearchWithImpact #WomenInResearch #FutureOfWork<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cMany people assume that AI adoption in higher education is mainly about technology, choosing the right tools or systems. But what often surprises people is how much the human element matters. My research shows that leadership style, trust, and the relationship between leaders and followers can make or break successful AI implementation. It\u2019s not just about having innovative technology; it\u2019s about whether people feel empowered, supported, and confident enough to engage with it. In many ways, the success of AI in universities depends far more on people than on the machines themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[135],"tags":[206,200,213,212,203,214,210,139,41,197,198,204,211,205,209,208,193,207],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meet-the-member","tag-academic-leadership","tag-digital-transformation","tag-early-career-researchers","tag-future-of-work","tag-higher-education","tag-inclusive-innovation","tag-innovation-in-education","tag-interdisciplinary-research","tag-leadership-matters","tag-meet-the-member","tag-nusc-voices","tag-organisational-change","tag-research-culture","tag-research-with-impact","tag-technology-adoption","tag-trust-in-leadership","tag-urban-systems","tag-women-in-research","has-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/Ibukun.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/129"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":203,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions\/203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/nusc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}