The 2026 HILT Conference will take place on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse in Allston, Massachusetts. The annual event brings together Harvard-affiliated faculty, staff, and students to examine ways to strengthen teaching and learning. Registration closed at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24.
For the first time, the conference program was built directly from a university-wide Call for Proposals. The response from departments across Harvard reflects active experimentation with classroom practices at a moment when rapid technological change is reshaping higher education.
A community-sourced program
The conference will feature plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and focused lightning rounds drawn entirely from proposals submitted by Harvard's own instructors and academic leaders. Attendees will explore practical applications of generative AI, the design of authentic assessments, and evidence-based strategies for building collaborative student teams.
The Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching (HILT) designed the annual conference to promote cross-campus dialogue about educational innovation. Its stated goals include providing examples of experimental approaches that generalize across academic fields and expanding the network of scholars and practitioners who are improving educational practice. HILT said it strives to make all programs accessible and encourages attendees with accommodation questions to contact the organizers.
What educators will take away
Sessions will focus on concrete, actionable strategies rather than abstract discussion. Faculty and instructional staff can expect to leave with techniques they can apply directly in their own classrooms - whether that means rethinking how they assess student learning or integrating new tools into collaborative assignments.
The emphasis on generative AI aligns with a broader push across higher education to understand what these tools mean for rigorous instruction. Educators looking to build their own skills in this area can find structured learning paths through AI for Teachers Courses designed specifically for classroom contexts.
Why this matters for education professionals
The shift to a Call for Proposals model signals that Harvard is looking inward - surfacing the work its own people are already doing rather than importing outside speakers. For education professionals elsewhere, the conference agenda offers a snapshot of what a leading research university considers its most urgent teaching challenges: generative AI, authentic assessment, and team-based learning. Those same priorities are showing up in faculty development conversations at institutions of every size. The question is no longer whether to engage with these topics, but how quickly and with what methods.
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