Virtual International Festival of Anatomy - AI, Assessment and Anatomy August 27 at 21:00UTC

IFAA informs about the above mentioned event. Please find all details below for your reference. Dear Colleagues, I hope this message finds you well.  I am writing to request your partnership in promoting the  Virtual International Festival of Anatomy 2025 to your membership. Information on the Virtual International Festival of Anatomy (VIFA) Launch Session for Your Membership The Virtual International Festival of Anatomy This launch session kicks off a 5-session festival running from August through to December 2025, covering faculty development, inclusive education, digital engagement, and cultural bridges in anatomy education, as well as a celebration of World Anatomy Day in October. Session 1 Theme: AI, Assessment and Learning in Anatomy Tuesday, August 27, 2025 at 21:00 UTC Duration: 2 hours Cost: FREE registration Unique Session Format - More Than Just Another Panel This launch session features an innovative two-part design to maximize discussion and networking:

Part 1: Expert InsightsShort expert presentations from each panellist providing insights from their region (8-10 minutes each) Interactive Panel Discussion Provocative questions that get deep into the issues, challenges and opportunitiesLive audience Q&A with questions from attendees

Part 2: Global Networking & Insight Gathering Small group breakouts to support network and collaborationContext-specific discussions where participants explore this topic from their unique perspectives,Innovation sharing and collaborative problem-solving for sharing practice, percolating ideas and emerging challenges

We will synthesise insights from both parts to share with the wider community of anatomists, through

• Polling of audience opinion and experiences on these most topical issues in HigherEd today

• Collation of  group discussions and a cross-regional comparison of approaches and experiences from networking discussions

This interactive format ensures every participant is able to contribute to and learn from the global conversation, not just passively observes it. Why This Matters Now The integration of AI in higher education and in anatomical sciences is no longer a future possibility. It's happening now. Anatomists around the world have unique experiences and expertise to share, and this will enrich our global community.  Many are also be grappling with similar  critical questions that we will be tackling: ·                 What does AI mean for the anatomy curriculum? How much content should we teach vs. expect students to learn independently? ·                 How do we assess learning when AI can generate ‘perfect’ anatomy answers, or can it? What does authentic assessment look like now? ·                 What meta-cognitive skills should we embed in anatomy learning experiences, and how do we actually assess these? ·                 What's the real place of simulation and VR in anatomy education beyond the marketing hype? ·                 How do we assure that students are actually learning in digital environments vs. just engaging? ·                 How do we integrate anatomy into clinical and professional learning when everything is changing so rapidly? We have a distinguished global panel Our panel brings together anatomy education leaders from three continents who are actively engaged in these challenges:

• Asia: A/Prof. Siti Nurma Hanim Hadie, from Universiti Sains Malaysia, an award-winning clinical anatomist with a PhD in anatomy education, and a regional expert on accessible and innovative teaching methodologies and cognitive load theory.
• Australia: Professor Michelle Lazarus, Director of the Centre for Human Anatomy Education at Monash University in Australia.
• North America: Professor Jason Organ, Editor-in-Chief Anatomical Sciences Education and Executive Director of Faculty Academy for Excellence in Teaching at Indiana University in US, a globally recognised expert science communicator, anatomy researcher and educator.

Request for Your Partnership and Support We would be very grateful if you would partner with us by: 1. kindly promoting this event to your members   

• forward this information to your membership via your regular communication channels

• Include information on the 2025 Virtual International Festival of Anatomy in your next newsletter or member update
• Share on social media using #VIFA2025. Here is a link to our LinkedIn post: VIFA2025 Session 1

2. share with us any information that you have of 2025-2026 anatomy events in your region. We would like to share these with attendees. Please forward me the details of events to share at the sessions and with attendees afterwards too. If your society has specific questions, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. We're committed to making this partnership as valuable as possible for your members. A Personal Thank You in Advance Anatomical societies like yours are the backbone of our global anatomy education community. The challenges facing anatomy education, from AI integration,  to curriculum transformation and staffing, are too complex for any one group to deal with alone. By promoting this session, you're helping build the collaborative networks our discipline needs to thrive. With warm regards and appreciation, Professor Nalini Pather Chair: Federative International Programme for Anatomical Education International Federation of Associations of Anatomists