Call for papers for European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education (ESJ DHE) - Issue 2026/3
The European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education (ESJDHE) invites contributions for its 2026/3 issue under the thematic priority:
“AI in Dual Higher Education: Digital Transformation and Pedagogical Innovation and Human Agency”
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping higher education across Europe and beyond. From teaching and learning to assessment, student support, curriculum design, and institutional governance, AI is no longer a peripheral technology but a driver of profound educational transformation. Current debates in higher education increasingly emphasize that the impact of AI depends not only on technological capability, but on how it is pedagogically framed, ethically governed, and institutionally embedded.
For Dual Higher Education (DHE), these developments are particularly significant. Dual and cooperative higher education models are characterized by the intentional integration of academic study and structured work-based learning. They therefore offer a unique context for examining how AI transforms not only classroom teaching, but also workplace learning, cooperation with practice partners, competence development, professional identity formation, and the design of hybrid learning ecosystems. At the same time, AI raises new questions about educational quality, academic integrity, human agency, data ethics, inclusion, and the future role of universities, employers, and students in jointly shaping learning processes.
This thematic issue seeks to explore how AI-driven digital transformation can be meaningfully connected with pedagogical innovation in Dual Higher Education. We are particularly interested in contributions that move beyond a purely technological perspective and critically examine how AI can support, reshape, or challenge the educational principles of dual study formats.
Guiding Questions
We welcome empirical, comparative, conceptual, and practice-based contributions that engage with questions such as:
- How is AI transforming teaching, learning, and assessment in dual and cooperative higher education?
- What forms of pedagogical innovation emerge when AI is integrated into dual study programs and work-based learning environments?
- How can AI support student learning, reflection, feedback, and competence development across academic and workplace settings?
- How do lecturers, students, practice mentors, and institutional leaders perceive and use AI in Dual Higher Education?
- What new requirements for AI literacy, professional development, and pedagogical competence arise for teachers, mentors, and students?
- How can assessment, supervision, and feedback practices be redesigned in dual study formats in response to generative AI and other intelligent systems?
- What ethical, legal, and governance challenges arise concerning transparency, fairness, data protection, accountability, and academic integrity?
- How can AI contribute to more personalized, inclusive, and flexible learning pathways in Dual Higher Education?
- What opportunities and risks does AI create for collaboration between higher education institutions and employers or practice partners?
- How does AI affect the balance between human agency and automation in dual learning environments?
- Which institutional strategies, policies, and quality assurance approaches support responsible AI integration in Dual Higher Education?
- How can dual higher education institutions use AI to strengthen their societal, professional, and regional relevance in times of digital transformation?
We are particularly interested in:
- Empirical studies (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods)
- Comparative analyses across countries, sectors, or institutional types
- Case studies of AI-enhanced curricula, courses, support systems, or partnerships in dual and cooperative higher education
- Conceptual or theoretical contributions on AI, pedagogy, agency, and work-based learning
- Reviews, mappings, or meta-analyses of research on AI in higher education with relevance for dual formats
- Policy analyses and governance studies related to AI, digital transformation, and quality development in higher education
- Contributions addressing inclusion, ethics, academic integrity, sustainability, or human-centered design in AI-supported dual education
Submission Guidelines
- Deadline for submissions: September 15, 2026
- Language: English
- Article types: Empirical research papers, case studies, theoretical contributions (6,000 - 8.000 words)
- Review process: Double-blind peer review
- Publication format: Online, Open Access
- Submission system: via Open Journal Systems (OJS) (click here for submission)
- Templates: Please use the official ESJ DHE article template (click here for template)
- Publication fees: None – ESJ DHE does not charge any APCs or submission fees
- Copyright: Authors retain full rights under Creative Commons License
About the Journal
The European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education (ESJ DHE) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal that provides a platform for scholarly exchange on all aspects of dual, cooperative, and professional higher education. The journal is an initiative of the EU4Dual European University Alliance and aims to promote the development of dual higher education across Europe and beyond.
- Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Dr. Ulf-Daniel Ehlers (Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW), Germany)
- Publisher: EU4Dual European University Alliance
- ISSN Registration: 3052/7015
Contact & Further Information:
For questions regarding this Call for Papers, submission guidelines, or technical assistance, please contact the editorial office at:
florian.schaefer@dhbw.de
