Home » HEDx Challenge Conference 2023

Challenge

Conference

Wednesday 15th March 2023 | Melbourne Connect

The HEDx Challenge Conference is the first of a series of live events designed to explore and challenge current thinking, strategy and culture in the higher education sector generating big ideas into the Universities Accord process.

When: Wednesday 15th March 2023, 12:30pm – 5:30pm (AEST)
Where: Melbourne Connect, 700 Swanston St, Carlton VIC 3053

The HEDx Challenge Conference is a half-day, dynamic event hosted at Melbourne Connect, Carlton. The conference features live presentations from Australian sector leaders and leading ed tech and professional services firms along with video inputs from a wide range of global thought leaders from within the sector.

The first conference theme is ‘challenge’ and is an interrogation of the current operating models in universities with a view to inspiring new thinking and solutions. These are to develop more sustainable practices and other commitments to purpose in higher education that can lead to success for individual universities and the sector as a whole. These include issues of equitable access and improved industry engagement.

The conference takes place shortly after the launch of the book The New Leadership Agenda which cultivated the views of 50 sector leaders in the first 50 episodes of the HEDx podcast about the future of the sector and the leadership approach that would lead to success within it. It is also occurring in the early stages of the Universities Accord process and gives leaders and institutions in the sector the opportunity to discuss and explore individual and collective thoughts about key issues of the purpose of our universities, and big ideas for their future, in a global context.

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Current State
of the Sector

1:00pm – 1:40pm

Inputs from Mary O’Kane as Chair of the Universities Accord review panel around the issues paper for the accord and what the challenges are for the sector. Keynote summaries from John Dewar as Chair of UA and Jan Thomas as Deputy Chair of UNZ of how these challenges are being perceived by ANZ university peak bodies.

Views of the Challenges ahead from Australian and Global Leaders

1:40pm – 2:20pm

Reflections from Australian and global leaders on these issues including Debbie Haski-Levanthal, Barney Glover Jane den Hollander, Michael Crow and Paul Le Blanc. and a summary of recent surveys and industry soundings by L.E.K Consulting and HEDx on sector priorities.

Big ideas in meeting knowledge and skills needs

2:40pm – 3:15pm

Reflections from global leaders on the issues in meeting skills needs including Phil Regier, Sanjay Sarma, Betty Vandenbosch, and Scott Pulsipher and a keynote input from EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Linda Brown of Torrens University on approaches to disrupting the sector through entrepreneurship and industry engagement and the testing of big ideas for the Universities Accord.

Big ideas in providing access and opportunity in the sector

3:15 pm – 3:45pm

Reflections from global leaders of the issues in meeting skills needs including Michael Crow, Phil Regier, Betty Vandenbosch and Ian Dunn and a keynote input on the need for regional higher education provision and access for regional students from VC Renee Leon of Charles Sturt University and the testing of big ideas for the Universities Accord.

Big ideas for knowledge development and innovation

4:05pm – 4:45pm

A case study in learning innovation from Caron Beaton-Wells and Nora Koslowski from the Melbourne Business School followed by reflections from global leaders including Michael Crow, Scott Pulsipher, Phil Regier, and Paul Le Blanc and the testing of big ideas for the Universities Accord.

Big Ideas for the Universities Accord and the way ahead

4:45pm – 5:30pm

Reflections from all of our keynote speakers on the wider accord issues and how our big ideas can inform improvements in our higher education that bring about change for good over the next 20-30 years.