HEDx

Professor Kelly Matthews steps in to host a special Teaching and Education Focused Academics (TEFA) Network conversation. Academics from across Australia come together to speak with Professor Barney Glover, Acting Chief Commissioner of the new national body shaping the future of higher education.This episode explores the evolving landscape of the sector, offering insights, questions, and perspectives from those at the forefront of teaching and learning.

This latest weekly reflection follows the second week of visits to UK Vice-Chancellors in London. In a collaboration with Rose Luckin and EDUCATE Ventures Research we are embarking on two pilots of university innovation coalitions in the UK and Australia. They will allow sharing of practices in using AI for experiments as varied as: developing critical thinking, tertiary harmonisation pathways, school to uni transitions and employer engagement. They allow universities to combine their bandwidth to make comprehensive responses in how best to use AI to improve student experiences to regain social licence. The links of such a coalition to a HEDx partnership with the UNE Next70Lab, in building leadership learning resources is also covered.

A Podbite live from London where HEDx joins Rose Luckin of EVR and her colleagues in exploring AI innovation sandboxes. We visit Antony Finkelstein of City St Georges University, Paul Kett of London South Bank University, and Shan Wareing of Middlesex. Off the back of engagement with Duke University's Future Universities Alliance, HEDx builds further global links in AI innovation best practice. We need this sharing to inform global HE investments in AI. These have to respond to lost social licence and demonstrate public value with a focus on improved student experiences.

Grant Robertson looks up and out 18 months in as Otago VC. As former Deputy PM of NZ he returns to where he studied and worked in research commercialisation, to lead change in a traditional research-intensive university. As a non-academic VC he reflects on his views as a past-President of the Otago Student Union and a 5 page letter he wrote of what was wrong with universities. He shares experience from the heart of government in how universities are perceived and what they need to do about it. And he reflects on his strategic focus of leading his colleagues to look up to a higher aspiration for students and communities, and out to broader global best practice, to both drive the change he sees is needed.

This question is posed in the light of overwhelming student debt and non-completion in the US, the call for an employer levy by Bill Shorten in Australia, and the debate about student loans schemes punishing students in the UK. It has insights drawn from Lev Gonick at ASU, Helen Bartlett and her innovative colleagues and partners in Australia, and from a visit to Antony Finkelstein at City University St Georges,. This podbite brought to you from London, outlines the bold innovation that we must replicate if this avenue to sustainable funding for HE is to become real.

Pierpaolo Limone is Rector of Pegaso University in Rome. He leads a privately-owned 100,000+ student online university. He is former Rector of the University of Foggia a traditional research university. He shows how a leader schooled in traditional academic environments facilitates disruption as a new entrant in a highly regulated system. He views research as a key differentiator for any university seeking to be competitive in a new disrupted higher education economy. He sees disrupting tech companies as likely dominant players in future higher education. Listen to Pierpaolo ahead of his speaking at the next HEDx conference on June 16th/17th

This second short and snappy podbite describes changes in the program of HEDx activities made in response to feedback. New new member of the HEDx team, engagement strategist Annabel Murphy joins the podbite. She brings experience of industry university engagement and content strategy from Europe and Australia. She using AI to align HEDx activities and content to members and partners needs. She discusses the recent survey completed of 20 members and partners. This led to a tweaking of podcasts, events and new projects being developed with members of the eco-system. These will give impact, continuity and reach for us in a mission to facilitate disruption to change higher education for good.

Josh Nester MD of SEEK investments is joined by a group of the world's most innovative EdTech companies. Nicola Cresp of OES, Joel di Trapani of Vygo, Sabih bin Wasi of Stellic and Trevor Fairweather of ReadyTech dissect issues of scaling student impact with AI. They explore the need all students have for human connection and how tech solutions need to add, not detract from it, in personalised ways at times and places where it can make a difference. And they identify the need for humans in the loop to include leaders who need to be bold and push beyond tentative pilots to really see technology make a difference to the student experience.

This is the first in a series of snappy short podcasts called podbites. They are updates on a key topic and question with inputs from various members of the HEDx ecosystem at the time. This one follows a visit to Canberra and Sydney during the UA conference of 2026 and argues that we need more inputs from external sources including students, out-of-sector innovators, and international sources to avoid being stuck in an echo chamber or loop of conservative thinking. That is commonly called hallucinating and we need to avoid it. Thats what HEDx is doing as it facilitates sector disruption.

The first Student Experience episode features a lively panel of students and sector leaders from the launch event, exploring the exciting future of the podcast and the role of student voice in shaping higher education.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.Featuring panelists:Sarah Bendall (National Student Ombudsman)Richard Lee (Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations)Sam Jacob (CEO, Collarts)Jasmine Johnston (Deakin University; University Chancellors Council)Professor Kerri-Lee Krause (TEQSA)Weihong Liang (Council of International Students Australia)Jennifer Lowe (University of Newcastle)Professor George Williams (Western Sydney University).