2. WIHEA and Student-Led Research: Finding Legitimacy and Belonging

In this episode of Inside WIHEA, Dr Tom Ritchie speaks to Dr Yanyan Li, IAS Early Career Fellow and WIHEA Student Fellow (2024-2025), about her journey from student researcher to educational leader through WIHEA's mentorship and partnership model.Yanyan led a student-driven research project interviewing students across the university about their AI use, challenging narratives of students as either "cheating or blindly relying on AI". Her work revealed students as thoughtful, strategic, and critical - experimenting with AI, questioning outputs, and setting boundaries, often without institutional guidance. The project produced a policy brief with recommendations for educational practice and opened doors to national conferences and symposiums.The conversation explores what genuine staff-student partnership looks like in practice. Yanyan reflects on how WIHEA legitimised her confidence, positioned her work within recognised academic networks, and helped her see herself as someone who belongs in spaces she'd previously doubted entering. She discusses what WIHEA mentorship meant for her development, and how she organised the Building Bridges symposium on Human-AI Interaction.Yanyan discusses how her time as a WIHEA Student Fellow expanded her sense of what feels "legitimate, meaningful, and achievable". She finishes by sharing how she now works to extend WIHEA's ethos forward by supporting others.Inside WIHEAExploring educational excellence through genuine collaboration between staff and students. A University of Warwick WIHEA PodcastThis podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie in partnership with the ⁠Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA)⁠. WIHEA is the UK's first institutional academy dedicated to advancing learning and teaching excellence through meaningful partnerships between educators and students, all united by their commitment to 'Learning Beyond Boundaries.'This podcast is designed to take listeners behind the scenes of WIHEA's transformative work, sharing the stories, strategies, and successes that are reshaping higher education. We want to showcase the collaborative innovation happening at the University of Warwick to inspire educators, students, and institutions worldwide.Join each month for in-depth conversations with WIHEA Fellows, alumni, and partners as we explore:Learning Beyond Boundaries: How cross-disciplinary collaboration enhances student opportunities. Innovative Pedagogies: From compassionate teaching to AI-enhanced education. Partnership in Practice: Real stories of staff-student collaboration and co-creation. Global Connections: How WIHEA's work influences higher education internationally.If you want to join the podcast as a guest or learn more about WIHEA, contact ⁠[email protected]⁠.