March 2024

President Michael Crow of Arizona State University shares his vision of a university accelerating towards social justice through excellence rather than seeking status through exclusivity. He is followed by Paul Harpur of UQ, Marcia Devlin of VATL, Joel di Trapani of Vygo, Cate Gilpin of Welcoming Universities and Mohamed Omer of Melbourne University all dissecting issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. An episode that makes clear a call for action and the need for us all to be the change we want to see in higher education. “The university” is us, and we can all change it for good, and now.

David Lloyd as Chair of UA and VC of UniSA gives this keynote presentation to the first session of the HEDx conference calling for action now from the sector ahead of finalisation of a government response to the Accord. A message echoed in a panel made up of VCs Andrew Parfitt and Helen Bartlett of UTS and UniSC and DVCs Jessica Vanderlelie and Kent Anderson of La Trobe and Newcastle. Hear the keynote and the leaders’ panel at the March 21st HEDx conference as the most comprehensive considered reactions to our landmark policy report are aired at a sector-wide event in Melbourne.

Mike Ilczynski as Managing Director Education at SEEK Investment shares experiences of a global investor in EdTech and Higher Ed. He describes opportunities for lifelong learning to offer significant growth to providers willing to be techno optimists like him and his company.

Shamit Saggar of the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success and Paul Harpur of UQ and Universities Enable were two of the most significant leaders of equity groups at the heart of the Accord and its Ministerial Reference Group. Their reflections on the Accord final report and the prospects for its implementation and focus in the months and years ahead is the most important conversation about equity in the Accord available at this point in time and available to all in the most equitable way here.

Deborah L. Wince-Smith the President and CEO of the US Council on Competitiveness draws on historical analogy to illustrate the compelling need for technological innovation in all economies. In leading the Universities Research Leadership Forum of the Global Forum for Competitiveness Councils she is spearheading global efforts towards technological transformation in global universities if we are to serve future skills needs of productive and competitive economies. One of many great analogies is to say we have moved from the Little House on the Prairie to the Cyber House on the Prairie and she should know.

How can university leaders promote innovation and growth in a complex multicultural settings while addressing social change with evolving forms of cultural, social and emotional intelligence?