Opening of the HEDx ‘Future Solutions for Higher Education’ conference
Speech delivered by Professor Deborah Terry at the opening of the HEDx 'Future Solutions for Higher Education' conference, GHD Advanced Engineering Auditorium, UQ St Lucia
Date: 31 October 2024
Thank you, Martin.
I, too, acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we meet today. And I would like to pay my respects to their ancestors and descendants, as we walk together on the path to Reconciliation.
I’d also like to acknowledge: my fellow Vice-Chancellors, UQ colleagues, distinguished guests, and partners in education.
It’s my great pleasure to welcome you all to UQ’s St Lucia campus for this HEDx conference focussed on exploring ‘Future Solutions’ for our sector.
We have chosen to co-host this conference, in this particular week, to coincide with a special event on our annual calendar, UQ’s annual Teaching & Learning Week.
With Semester 2 classes ending last Friday, this dedicated week at UQ is all about celebrating teaching excellence and reflecting on how we can introduce creative or innovative approaches to keep enhancing student learning.
Our theme for T&L Week, this year, is “Future Ready”. So, we’re delighted that Martin and the HEDx team have created a program for us here today that also invites us to engage in a discussion around the future of our sector.
Of course, any discussion about the future is always fraught with uncertainty, because the future is inherently unknowable.
But, right now, it feels like we’re living through a particularly volatile and unpredictable period.
That’s certainly true for our sector, as we manage international caps and await further change in the roll-out of the Universities Accord process.
But when we look at the broader global context beyond our campuses, it feels like we’re living through a period of profound change and uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions, climate change, economic fluctuations, and threats to democracy have all become more pressing and complex over recent years.
Alongside these challenges, of course, we’re also negotiating the economic, industrial and social impacts of rapid technological advances – none more disruptive, perhaps, than the rise of artificial intelligence.
Most humans have an almost instinctively negative response to the prospect of change.
However, I think it’s important to acknowledge that disruptive change is always accompanied by both challenges and opportunities.
Of course, much of the media commentary in relation to A.I. tends to focus on the dystopian potential of the technology. But that neglects the immense capacity of A.I. to unleash widespread benefits, across fields such as healthcare, the environment, productivity, social inclusion – and education.
The former CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty, captured this point perfectly when she said – and I quote:
"The reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence."
In other words, she expects that rather than replacing human knowledge and skills, A.I. will complement them.
One of Rometty’s fellow leaders of the global tech sector, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, made a very similar point when he said – and I quote:
"The future of work is not just about technology and tools. It’s about new ways of thinking, creating, and collaborating to solve problems."
Or to express that another way, while technologies like A.I. will undoubtedly shape the future, it is human creativity, collaboration and problem-solving that will ultimately drive progress.
This is a particularly powerful message for us all, because it’s an insight into the type of skills that we should be seeking to cultivate in our students, as we prepare them for the world ahead.
So, how do we prepare them?
We know that it’s essential to impart technical knowledge – or specific discipline-based skills – to prepare our students for their future careers.
But, as we look to the future, that can no longer be the sum total of what we offer.
Our task is far broader than that – and, I would argue, far more exciting.
It requires new and innovative approaches to teaching.
For a start, we simply have to create more opportunities for our students to work in teams, collaborating on developing solutions to real-world problems. This can be done through virtual simulations, project-based learning, fieldwork, or teams-based challenges.
By co-designing these types of engaging learning experiences with our students, we can also create opportunities to instil in them those uniquely human skills that will prepare them for the future of work. Skills like communication, collaboration, adaptability,resilience, critical thinking, problem-solving and ethical decision-making.
Developing these skills is going to be essential; not just for our students, but also for our society.
Because it’s going to take much more than technical proficiency to solve the many challenges that are associated with climate change, social inequality, geopolitical tensions and technological disruption.
It will require creativity, moral courage, and a deep commitment to the public good.
Our universities, of course, are not just observers in this era of change. We’re the creators and the shapers of it.
But, more importantly, we hold the key to managing it.
As institutions of learning and discovery, we have a responsibility to equip our students and society with the knowledge and skills to not only navigate, but master, this period of transformation.
And, undoubtedly, our sector is at its very best when we collaborate and remain firmly focused on our mission of serving the public good.
So thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us here for this important conversation today.
I also want to thank Martin and the team at HEDx for the opportunity to host this conference at UQ – and for putting together a really engaging agenda.
I look forward to the insights, ideas, and solutions that will emerge through the course of our discussions today. Thank you.