HEDx

HEDx's largest and most ambitious event opened at University of Technology Sydney, welcoming more than 600 leaders, students and partners to two days built around one question: are we actually going to change anything, or just feel good about wanting to? Vice Chancellor Andrew Parfitt, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Vice President Kylie Readman and student leader Chloe Ferreira open with a shared provocation: universities must disrupt themselves, and students can't wait for them to build a better future.

Aaron Driver and Neil Durant of the University of New England argue that universities should not wait to be disrupted by AI - they should lead the disruption themselves. In this episode, we explore UNE’s vision for the future of learning, from personalised education and “earned learning” to Studio, a next-generation learning experience engine designed to make higher education more human, engaging and relevant in the age of AI. And we launch the HEDx AI agent navigating a curated resource of 5 years of connections on disruption with global leaders of innovation in higher education.

Students with disabilities are the fastest growing equity cohort in Australian tertiary education yet they continue to experience lower satisfaction, access, success, attainment, completion and employment outcomes than their higher education peers.
In this episode of the HEDx Student Experience Podcast, Student Leader Jennifer Lowe and Student Voice Australasia’s Belinda Brear sit down with Professor Sally Kift to explore one of the sector’s quiet success stories: the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET).
 Together, they unpack why national, quality assured, co-designed resources are essential as the demand for and complexity of disability, belonging and inclusion grow; why universal design is fast becoming a regulatory expectation, not a “nice to have”; and why cross-institutional collaboration is critical if we’re serious about equity, accessibility and student success.
A hopeful, practical conversation about doing accessibility, affirmation, accommodation and inclusion better for students, staff and the sector.

Alex Elibank-Murray of UniSC hosts a panel of colleague Leah Barclay, industry partner Tracey Whitelaw and student Callum Phillips to argue that the future of higher education may not be a classroom at all. In this episode, we explore immersive learning, XR technologies and the rise of virtual campuses — revealing how universities are already being transformed by AI, storytelling and real-world industry collaboration.

Jason Clare launches a new 2050 Alliance grouping of universities focused on students, communities and the future, HEDx joins them to define AI coalitions in Australia. George Williams ,Chair of the Alliance and its CEO Paul Harris reflect on the launches from Canberra. And ACU Provost Julie Cogin reflects on how AI presents opportunity to dramatically improve retention. This event progresses global universities joining forces to recreate the transformed university model to serve future learners.