Ana Hol | Associate Dean, Associate Prof
WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

Associate Professor Ana Hol is Associate Dean (International) in the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science at Western Sydney University, where she leads global engagement, transnational education initiatives, and strategic international partnerships across multiple regions.
Ana’s work sits at the intersection of business transformation, education transformation, and the implementation of emerging technologies, with a current focus on Generative AI and its impact on organisations, professions, and higher education. She has established a strong track record in aligning curriculum with industry needs, leading large-scale accreditation processes, and designing authentic, industry-embedded learning experiences that prepare graduates for rapidly evolving digital environments.
An award-winning educator and recognised sector leader, Ana is the recipient of the University Medal, the Australian Computer Society Digital Disruptor ICT Educator of the Year Award (2018), and the South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation Global ICT Educator of the Year Award (2018). She is also an active contributor to national and international discussions on AI, ethics, and the future of education through her work with professional bodies and industry.
With experience spanning academia, industry collaboration, and international program development, Ana brings a strategic perspective on how universities can respond to technological change while maintaining academic integrity, quality, and relevance. Her current research and industry engagement explore GenAI adoption, workforce transformation, and the redesign of assessment and curriculum in the AI era.A highly engaging speaker, Ana is known for combining evidence-based insights with practical strategies. At EDUtech 2026, she will challenge assumptions about what it means to develop meaningful capability in an AI-driven world. As Generative AI reshapes how work is performed and evaluated, Ana poses a critical question: How do we prepare students not only to operate in an AI-driven world, but to shape what that world becomes? Drawing on her research and industry engagement, she will surface emerging tensions between capability, credibility, and employability, and explore what this means for the future of education.