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When Dr Rumbi Nyanhoto opened an unexpected email inviting her to join a select group of academics from around the world in Geneva, her first thought was that it might be spam.
Two weeks later, after investigating the invitation, the ACAP University College social work academic discovered she had been selected for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Academic Leadership Suite.
Just 30 academics from around the world were selected to participate, with Dr Nyanhoto the only academic selected from Australia and the only social worker among the group.
For Dr Nyanhoto, the experience became an opportunity to bring a distinctly social work perspective to conversations about some of the biggest questions facing higher education, including how educators prepare students for a future increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
From social work to the global stage
Dr Nyanhoto has taught at ACAP for around four years, across areas including individuals and families, professional practice and international social work.
Her work also extends well beyond the classroom.
Alongside her academic career, Dr Nyanhoto works with government, communities and the legal system. She is Deputy Co-Chair of the Victorian African Communities Committee, following an appointment by the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, and works as a family consultant within the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
She is also involved in advocacy addressing issues including child marriage and child-headed households.
It was this combination of academia, advocacy, policy and community engagement that Dr Nyanhoto believes contributed to her selection.
“They were looking for someone who is an academic, but also with some traits that mimic the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.”
For Dr Nyanhoto, the recognition was particularly meaningful because much of her advocacy happens without financial reward or public recognition.
“There is no work that goes unnoticed,” she says.
“When you do advocacy work, sometimes it looks like it is very small or it is nothing. But with the selection that I got, you are representing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and you are representing the needs of the people.”
Preparing students for an AI future
A major focus of the Academic Leadership Suite was the role higher education can play in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Participants also attended the AI for Good Global Summit and contributed to discussions informing a global white paper exploring how higher education can prepare students for an AI driven future.
For Dr Nyanhoto, the experience challenged some of the fear surrounding AI and education.
“I think mostly it is that AI is here. It is not going anywhere. And AI can be used for good,” she says.
“It is our responsibility as educators to create that balance between students using AI and also maintaining that humanity when they are using it. It is our responsibility to prepare students for an AI driven future.”
As the only social worker in the group, Dr Nyanhoto brought a different perspective to conversations involving academics from fields including technology and business.
“When it came to talking about human-centred things, things from the grassroots level and problems from the grassroots level, I was at the forefront of that because, as a social worker, I am always at the forefront of people’s problems,” she says.
Keeping people at the centre of AI
For Dr Nyanhoto, embracing the possibilities offered by AI does not mean losing sight of the skills at the heart of social work.
Technology may be able to generate information and assist with tasks, but social workers still need the judgement, observation and interpersonal skills required to work effectively with people.
“As much as AI can do a lot of things, there are some things that are human that it cannot do,” she says.
“When we work with our clients, you need to do observations, you need to listen attentively, you need to listen actively, you need to probe questions and you need to be able to make an assessment of risk. AI can write a report for you, but it cannot add the human component of that.”
It is a perspective Dr Nyanhoto plans to bring directly into her teaching at ACAP.
In international social work, she plans to incorporate what she learned through discussions about the Sustainable Development Goals. In professional practice, her focus will be on helping students understand how technology can support their future work without replacing their ability to think critically and demonstrate practical skills themselves.
“I have got a lot of ideas about how we can ensure that students are trained and their brain muscle is trained to think, so that they can prepare for meeting clients in the field,” she says.
Creating change through collaboration
While AI was a major theme in Geneva, another important lesson for Dr Nyanhoto was the power of collaboration.
“Building sustainable change comes with effective partnerships across sectors,” she says.
For social workers, that means recognising connections between their profession and government, community organisations, education, business and technology.
“As social workers, we do not function or work in silos,” Dr Nyanhoto says.
“We function better if we really understand our role and that there are some things in our role as social workers that intersect with other people in other disciplines.”
For ACAP students preparing to enter a changing profession, Dr Nyanhoto’s experience is also a reminder of what social workers can contribute to conversations extending far beyond their own profession.
As technology continues to transform education, workplaces and society, social workers bring an understanding of people, communities and the realities experienced at the grassroots level.
For Dr Nyanhoto, ensuring those perspectives are heard will be an important part of building a future where innovation and humanity can progress together.