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Student Experience Podcast

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EP218. Innovation in AI: Together or alone?

Episode 3 of The AI Inflection Point — and the first of four conversations on coalitions.Can universities lead the AI transformation that higher education needs — alone? The answer is no. But what “together” actually looks like when your institution is under real financial pressure is a much harder conversation.This panel brings together four leaders with very different starting points. Rose Luckin, CEO of Educate Ventures Research, has built one of the most active AI coalitions in UK schools. Noah Pickus, Head of Global Strategy and Partnerships at Duke, has just launched the Future Universities Alliance — 49 institutions from 23 countries. Theo Farrell, Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe, is two years into a serious AI transformation. And Shan Wareing, Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University, inherited a 12% deficit on day one.What emerges from this conversation is not a simple case for collaboration — but a more honest question about what we’re actually trying to protect, and whether we can do that alone.

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In Featured, Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

EP217. The problem is one of culture

Episode 2 of The AI Inflection Point — six conversations recorded at the HEDx 2026 conference in Sydney. The diagnosis is set. Now: what does it actually take to respond?
Lucy Marshall from the University of Sydney names what most leaders know but rarely say out loud — universities don’t have an innovation problem. They have a culture problem. Fear is the barrier. Not budget, not technology. Fear.
Then Aleks Subic, who built an innovation precinct in the heart of Birmingham, and Grant Robertson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago, answer the same question from the outside in — by changing where the university stands in the world, and who it stands for.
If the barrier isn’t technology but culture — what does it actually take to change a university from the inside?

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In Featured, Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

EP216. The model is broken, and AI makes it urgent

Episode 1 of The AI Inflection Point — our six-part series recorded at the HEDx 2026 conference in Sydney. This first episode sets the diagnosis: universities were designed for a student who no longer exists. Professor KC Chua, President of Singapore Institute of Technology, and Pierpaolo Limone, Rector of Pegaso University in Rome, answer the same question from opposite sides of the world: for what kind of student was the university actually built — and is that still the student in front of us today? AI didn’t create the problem. It just made it impossible to ignore
A hopeful, practical conversation about doing accessibility, affirmation, accommodation and inclusion better for students, staff and the sector.

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In Featured, Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

Student Experience Podcast – EP6

In this episode for Student Experience, UQ students Madison Piper and Ben Roden-Cohen sit down with Professor Kris Ryan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), for a conversation about uncertainty, AI, cost of living pressures, mental health, learning, and what universities are actually for.

A hopeful, practical conversation about doing accessibility, affirmation, accommodation and inclusion better for students, staff and the sector.

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In Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

Student Experience Podcast – EP5. Accessibility by design: why Inclusion can’t be an afterthought

For those looking for some joy and inspiration about the mission of Australian universities, it is right here.

In 20 minutes, this conversation between 2026 Australian University Teacher of the Year Associate Professor Roma Forbes, UQ undergraduate student Madi Piper, and Professor Kelly Matthews offers a grounded reminder of what higher education can be at its best: relational, human, intellectually stretching, and deeply committed to student success.

This is a conversation about teaching that values people, learning that makes room for uncertainty, and why student experience is shaped every day by the cultures teachers create. It will leave you feeling better about the state of the sector.
Join HEDx Associate Sharon Saunders as she hosts an expert-driven discussion about how AI tools are already reshaping doctoral work across disciplines. Discover how AI influences research practices, the importance of balancing AI-assisted productivity with critical thinking, and the ethical dilemmas around authorship in an AI-enabled world. Perfect for doctoral candidates, research supervisors, and policymakers, this episode offers vital insights into navigating AI’s complex landscape.
The panel brings together diverse perspectives from across the sector all united by a shared belief in the power of asking better questions and truly listening to students. Together, they explore why student voice matters and how meaningful dialogue can shape the future of higher education.

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In Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

Student Experience Podcast – EP4. Teaching that changes lives; a conversation on student experience

For those looking for some joy and inspiration about the mission of Australian universities, it is right here.

In 20 minutes, this conversation between 2026 Australian University Teacher of the Year Associate Professor Roma Forbes, UQ undergraduate student Madi Piper, and Professor Kelly Matthews offers a grounded reminder of what higher education can be at its best: relational, human, intellectually stretching, and deeply committed to student success.

This is a conversation about teaching that values people, learning that makes room for uncertainty, and why student experience is shaped every day by the cultures teachers create. It will leave you feeling better about the state of the sector.
Join HEDx Associate Sharon Saunders as she hosts an expert-driven discussion about how AI tools are already reshaping doctoral work across disciplines. Discover how AI influences research practices, the importance of balancing AI-assisted productivity with critical thinking, and the ethical dilemmas around authorship in an AI-enabled world. Perfect for doctoral candidates, research supervisors, and policymakers, this episode offers vital insights into navigating AI’s complex landscape.
The panel brings together diverse perspectives from across the sector all united by a shared belief in the power of asking better questions and truly listening to students. Together, they explore why student voice matters and how meaningful dialogue can shape the future of higher education.

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In Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

Student Experience Podcast – EP3: how AI is reshaping doctoral research, writing, and learning

Most PhDs are built on original ideas and critical thinking—so what happens when AI enters the equation? On this episode of the HEDx Student Experience Podcast, three researchers confront the daunting yet exciting challenges AI poses to research integrity, authorship, and the very core of scholarly originality.

Join HEDx Associate Sharon Saunders as she hosts an expert-driven discussion about how AI tools are already reshaping doctoral work across disciplines. Discover how AI influences research practices, the importance of balancing AI-assisted productivity with critical thinking, and the ethical dilemmas around authorship in an AI-enabled world. Perfect for doctoral candidates, research supervisors, and policymakers, this episode offers vital insights into navigating AI’s complex landscape.
The panel brings together diverse perspectives from across the sector all united by a shared belief in the power of asking better questions and truly listening to students. Together, they explore why student voice matters and how meaningful dialogue can shape the future of higher education.

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In Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

Student Experience Podcast – Episode 2: Student reflections on the TEFA Network conversation

Hosted by Kelly Matthews, with contributions from Martin Betts, the episode also features insights from David Turvey PSM (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) and Jonathan Davey (CEO, Online Education Services).

The panel brings together diverse perspectives from across the sector all united by a shared belief in the power of asking better questions and truly listening to students. Together, they explore why student voice matters and how meaningful dialogue can shape the future of higher education.

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In Opinions, Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

HEDx Student Experience Podcast – Episode 1

Hosted by Kelly Matthews, with contributions from Martin Betts, the episode also features insights from David Turvey PSM (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) and Jonathan Davey (CEO, Online Education Services).

The panel brings together diverse perspectives from across the sector all united by a shared belief in the power of asking better questions and truly listening to students. Together, they explore why student voice matters and how meaningful dialogue can shape the future of higher education.

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In Podcast, Student Experience Podcast

HEDx The Student Experience: New Student Podcast

HEDx Student Experience brings student perspectives directly into conversations about the future of higher education. Each episode highlights what students really experience and how research and policy decisions translate into real-world impact on learning, engagement, and outcomes.

Why Listen?

Gain authentic insight into student experiences and priorities
Understand the practical implications of research and policy for learners
Hear students’ voices shaping ideas for change across the tertiary sector
Support evidence-based decision-making that reflects what learners need

Expect

Monthly podcast episodes hosted by Professor Kelly Matthews
Student perspectives through interviews, reflections, and curated discussion segments
Accessible, honest, and actionable discussions grounded in real experiences
Topics connect research, innovation, and sector trends to the student experience

Relevant to university leaders, professional staff, policymakers, sector partners, and anyone looking to make learning more student-centered.

Tune in to the HEDx podcast to hear students’ insights and engage with ideas that drive meaningful change in higher education.
This white paper outlines a sector-led, government-enabled plan to build that infrastructure and is a summary of a collaborative HEDx and MortarCAPS Higher Learning Data Standard.

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