From Brazilian TV to Higher Education: reinventing student events through co-creation

Figure 1: AI Industry Dialogue organised by the LSE100 Course on 15 October 2025, featuring Microsoft AI Solutions Engineer Abdullah Abu-Hassan.

When I started teaching the LSE100 Course, I was fascinated by its innovative approach to teaching and learning. Its managers have always encouraged us to think outside the box and they've never been afraid to experiment with new methods. To enhance students' learning experience, the course organises industry events to its three themes (AI, Fairness, and Climate Futures), but attendance was disappointingly low. When I first discussed this with my manager, I couldn't stop thinking: what could we do differently? Students would clearly benefit from hearing industry perspectives, so why weren't they signing up?

I'm trying to work on my overthinking habit. But sometimes it actually leads somewhere useful. This was the case here. When I put myself in students' shoes, I realised something that the traditional talk + Q&A format might just not appeal to them anymore.

The students of today are much different from the students we had decades ago. They can access any content instantly online, and they have real agency—they choose which talks to attend and how they'll engage. When this clicked for me, I started thinking: what if we invited students into co-creation instead of just passive attendance?

That's when the Brazilian TV show Roda Viva popped into my head.

Figure 2: Screenshot from the Brazilian TV show Roda Viva featuring the reporter Glória Maria | YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgkRIelW7I8

In this TV show, the guest sits in the center while people around them spontaneously fire questions. It's intimate, unpredictable, and feels like a genuine conversation instead of a formal interview. If we managed to create this level of engagement between students and our guest, we could completely reinvent our approach to student events. That became my goal! Here's my step-by-step approach. If you're thinking about experimenting with this format, hopefully this gives you a starting point.

1) Find a charismatic guest who's excited to engage with students and isn't afraid to be challenged

The guest needs to genuinely want to engage with students and be comfortable with challenge. Students will be asking questions freely and pushing back on ideas. If your guest gets defensive or seems uncomfortable, students may sense it immediately and shut down. The whole format depends on that openness.

At a conference on AI and Terrorism in June, I crossed paths with Abdullah Abu-Hassan, Microsoft's AI Solutions Engineer. I gave a talk in the morning, he spoke in the afternoon session. I was fascinated by the way he spoke about AI: out with the jargons, in with the passion and accessible language. Beyond being charismatic, he wasn't afraid of tough questions, so I started thinking of him as a potential partner for my experiment. I must confess though that Abdullah and I share many things in common, so I felt comfortable in sharing my ideas with him and he embraced them. He enthusiastically said yes to my invitation.

2) Co-creation part 1: Invite students to ask questions in advance

By inviting students to submit questions in advance, you enable them to feel included in the event and encourage them to think critically about what they actually want to know. Plus, there's an element of anticipation: will their question get picked?

When we opened the registration, we asked students to submit their questions anonymously in advance. We were impressed with the variety and quality of the questions. Within two weeks, we received almost 200 sign ups - way more than we expected. That meant we had to reduce the number of questions to a manageable size because the event would only last 90 minutes. So, we sent them all to Abdullah and asked him to choose 25 that he found most compelling. We printed these questions and dropped them in a box. They would serve as starting points—conversation sparkers—not a rigid script.

3) Set the scene: Make it feel like a real TV show

This is another critical step to ensure the success of this format. When welcoming students, tell them to imagine they're in a TV studio, not a classroom. Make it clear that the show has two stars: the guest AND them. This simple reframing completely changes the energy. Students realise they're not just audience members—they're active participants, and the event only works if they engage.

When setting the scene, I gave some clear instructions on how the format would work. After emphasising that the show had two stars, I told them that the box with questions would circulate around the room. Anyone could pick one and ask Abdullah directly. After he answered, they could ask follow-ups or comment on his response. They were also free to engage with each other's comments as well.

Here's why having 20-25 pre-submitted questions matters: it's your safety net. If students are hesitant to speak up, you've got material to keep things moving. In our case, the format worked so well that we only got 4 questions from the box. Everything else came spontaneously. Students jumped in with their own questions, challenged Abdullah's views on some topics, built on each other's comments, and some even stayed after to network with Abdullah directly!

Watch this video to see how I set the scene on the day of our event.

I know that at first sight this format may seem to demand a lot of work. For sure, it is not as easy as simply inviting someone to speak. But when you see students leaning forward in their seats, jumping in with questions, staying after to keep the conversation going, when you receive their feedback saying they finally felt seen and valued—you'll know it was worth it!

This experiment worked for the course that I teach, but the bigger point is this: we need to keep reimagining what education looks like. Students are ready for change. The question is: are we?