09/02/2026
Recently, the results of the highly anticipated Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge were announced at the historic Rhodes House, University of Oxford. Brazilian student Eduardo Henrique Oliveira Santos, as a core member of the diverse team Koan, took second prize with a learning management system designed to enhance students’ critical thinking, standing out from dozens of global projects. Comprising students from six countries—Brazil, Ecuador, Canada, China, India, and the United States—the team developed Koan, an AI-era learning management system (LMS) that uses artificial intelligence to deepen reflection and encourage high-quality questions, rather than replace human reasoning. The Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge is the flagship program of the Kevin Xu Initiative. This year’s challenge was a key part of the Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society, which explores technology’s role in building a more equitable and sustainable society.