The Evolving University

 

Supported by

 

A strategic program for university leaders exploring how Australian higher education is evolving through policy reform, digital disruption and shifting learner needs. Topics include financial sustainability, equity, technology, workforce transformation, student experience and global competitiveness in an integrated and rapidly changing tertiary education landscape.

 

Benefits of attending

  • The future of higher education funding in Australia: explore how funding models are evolving in response to the Universities Accord and gain insights into sustainable strategies that align with equity and workforce objectives.
  • University-VET collaboration and tertiary system integration: understand the implications of a more connected tertiary education system, including cross-sector credit recognition, co-delivered programs and strategies for seamless learner pathways.
  • Leadership and workforce transformation: examine how institutions are rethinking academic and professional roles, addressing workforce sustainability and adapting leadership models in response to rapid sector changes and hybrid operations.
  • Student equity: discover proven approaches and policy-aligned strategies to support underrepresented student cohorts, driving equitable participation and success in line with national targets.
  • Improving student employability: learn how universities are embedding industry partnerships, career development learning and future-ready skillsets into curricula to ensure graduates thrive in a fast-changing workforce.
  • AI to improve teaching and learning: unpack the practical applications of AI, including ethical considerations, personalised learning models and sector-specific tools that enhance engagement and outcomes.
  • Student access, participation and success in online higher education: explore how institutions are designing inclusive and flexible online learning models to support diverse student cohorts, particularly in regional and remote areas.
  • Supporting First Nations students: gain insights into successful, culturally responsive programs that improve access, retention and completion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
  • Keeping up with international enrolment rules: learn how to respond to policy changes, meet compliance requirements, and find ways to maintain quality, reach new markets and keep your institution strong.
  • Academic integrity in the age of digital learning: examine new approaches to upholding academic integrity in a digital-first environment, including policy innovation, detection tools, and AI-aware assessment design.

Who is it for?

  • Vice chancellor / deputy vice-chancellor
  • Pro vice-chancellor (international / research / learning & teaching)
  • Director of strategy / strategic planning
  • Director of learning innovation / digital learning / educational technology
  • Director of institutional research / business intelligence / data and analytics
  • Director of student experience / engagement
  • Director of equity and inclusion / access and participation
  • Director of learning innovation
  • Director of marketing and student recruitment
  • Dean of faculty
  • Director of research
  • Director of engagement and partnerships / international partnerships
  • Director of quality assurance
  • Associate dean (research / learning & teaching / international)
  • Head of school / department

 

 

 

 

The Evolving University, Wednesday 3 June 2026

Madhavi Shankar
The Evolving University
12:30

Future-ready universities: Digital transformation and global engagement

Panel discussion
The Evolving University
13:10

Transformation at scale: Leading AI change in higher education

    onda Gibson is the Chief Transformation Officer at Texas A&M University System. In conversation with Jenny Maxwell, Head of Education at Superhuman, she discusses what AI transformation actually demands at scale: how Texas A&M has built deliberately on its Grammarly foundation, what faculty activation and change management require across a large and complex institution, and why Superhuman Go is the next step in a strategy that puts institutional fit first. 

    Audience takeaways:

  •     What AI transformation actually demands at the system level, beyond policy and announcements
  •     Practical approaches to faculty engagement and change management when scaling AI across a large institution
  •     How to structure AI adoption as a phased, deliberate strategy
  •     What co-development with a technology partner looks like in practice
  •     How one of the largest university systems in the US is approaching the next phase of its AI strategy

Kelly Webb-Davies
The Evolving University
14:20

Scaling AI innovation and literacy: Lessons from Oxford’s AI Competency Centre

Alan Smith
The Evolving University
15:00

Simplifying payment complexity in higher education

Dr Geri Harris
The Evolving University
16:10

Workplace readiness: Equipping students with soft skills and digital literacy

last published: 01/May/26 00:55

The Evolving University, Thursday 4 June 2026

Angela Schumann
The Evolving University
10:20

Global partnerships for EdTech growth: NSW as a gateway to Asia-Pacific

Angela Schumann, Education Consultant and Partnerships Manager (APAC), Matific
Sarah Prestridge
The Evolving University
12:10

Conceptualising students' emotional engagement in asynchronous forums.

This presentation explores how students perceive of their emotions within an asynchronous forum and how this relates to social learning behaviours.  We live in a world where earning and learning is rapidly moving online, we know there is increase in flexible and online learning at university and professionally. Plus asynchronous engagement is the foundation for online learning design. Currently, there are more studies focused on achievement outcomes and engaging with course content, with very few studies focus on the learning behaviours related to student’s emotions as they engage in asynchronous forums. This research is important because:

1.    There is little to no research from the perspective of student's emotions and how these influence learning behaviours asynchronously;

2.    We need to know about the emotional perspectives of a learner coming to an asynchronous (open) forum

3.    The study identifies three typologies representing social emotional learning action.

Paul Oliveri
The Evolving University
13:30

Beyond awareness: What actually works in professional development for generative AI in higher education and VET

Amanda White
The Evolving University
14:00

Educators, influence and identity: Navigating the new knowledge landscape

Francesco Garbellini
The Evolving University
14:40

Empower learning, research and campus life — securely with Jamf for higher education

Technology in higher education is transforming how students learn, educators teach, and institutions operate. Universities must deliver seamless digital access across teaching, research, and administration — all while safeguarding privacy, compliance, and the student experience. Come and discover how Jamf for Higher Education can bridge the gap between what Apple provides and what Higher Education Institutions need.

Francesco Garbellini, Key Account Manager, Education, Jamf
Niraj Pandya
The Evolving University
15:10

ABC: Co-Designing assessments for personalised evidence of learning

Student co-design is practical, not just philosophical.ABC operationalises student partnership by offering curated, outcome-aligned evidence pathways rather than ad hoc concessions.

Equivalence is engineered, not assumed.One rubric mapped to learning outcomes plus enforced Bloom’s coverage means different formats are comparable, auditable, and TEQSA-ready.

Real workload gains, conservatively estimated.After a one-off setup, expect a 30–40% reduction in assessment redesign time and a 20–30% drop in moderation overhead — time that academics can redeploy to feedback and mentoring.

AI as co-pilot, not shortcut.Generative AI is used to produce contextually authentic briefs, exemplar banks and scaffolded rubrics while integrity is preserved through method statements and viva/reflection checks.

Scalable equity through UDL and analytics.Built-in scaffolds, alternative modes and an analytics dashboard let you identify literacy gaps, preference clusters and intervention points across cohorts.

last published: 01/May/26 00:55