Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
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* HERDSA Blog Post: Wayfinding at the Interface: Principles for Ethical Higher Education Research with Moana Oceania Indigenous Knowledge Systems
* HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG – First Meeting of 2026
* HERDSA SoTL SIG -- This Friday! -- Scholarly teaching: First steps to SoTL
* HERDSA PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT NOMINATIONS
* TERNZ 2026, Auckland - Save the date
* Join us for the launch of the HEDx Student Experience Podcast
* CRADLE Seminar Series: 'Preparing graduates for an AI-evolving world (of work)'
* On the Shoulders of Giants: Protecting cultural knowledge using AI- A conversation with Peter-Lucas Jones.
* Registration open - Webinar 25 March 2026- Identity in Teaching and Learning (2)
* New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
To submit an announcement for this list complete the online form at http://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-notices
A full list of HERDSA Notices is online at http://www.herdsa.org.au/latest-news
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HERDSA Blog Post: Wayfinding at the Interface: Principles for Ethical Higher Education Research with Moana Oceania Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Benjamin Levy, 18 February 2026
Ben explores how to design higher education research that genuinely honours Indigenous knowledge systems.
Read more: https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-connect/wayfinding-interface-principles-eth...
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HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG – First Meeting of 2026
Thursday 19th February, 1-2pm (AEDT)\
Come and joins us for an informal meet and greet.
Let’s get together to share ideas, network with colleagues, and talk about assessment and feedback which matters to you most. We discuss together our plans for 2026 SIG events and possibilities for communication and collaborations.
DATE: Thursday 19th February, 1-2pm (AEDT)
Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/2afe5jzx
We look forward to seeing you at the first Assessment SIG meeting of the year; and welcome any new members to our SIG.
Co-chairs: thomas.wanner@adelaide.edu.au; Khanna_priya05@yahoo.com
Further information: thomas.wanner@adelaide.edu.au
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HERDSA SoTL SIG -- This Friday! -- Scholarly teaching: First steps to SoTL
Friday, 20 February 2026 - 12–1pm AEDT (NSW/VIC); 11am–12pm AEST (QLD time)
Welcome back to the SoTL SIG for 2026! We have a great year planned for our SIG, and we are starting with scholarly teaching.
Scholarly teaching is an important underlying skill to help you develop as SoTL scholar. Join us as we discuss how to get these foundations in place, use them to evaluate and improve your teaching, and engage with your scholarly community.
Presenter: Dr Robyn Yucel (Deakin University)
Register here: https://unisq.zoom.us/meeting/register/LCd16NSwTD2N9ecfXKWzOg
*Register for one or all our SIGs this year!*
Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14343410/
Further information: Contact the SoTL SIG at herdsa.sotl.sig@gmail.com
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HERDSA PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT NOMINATIONS
20th March 2026
Nominations for the position of HERDSA President are now open. The position of HERDSA President requires a three year commitment. For the first year, beginning at the 2026 conference in July, the successful candidate serves as President-elect. This one-year position enables the full induction of the incoming president into the current practices and systems of the Society before the full role of President is assumed at the conclusion of the 2027 conference in July.
The President of HERDSA is an important voluntary role which has major responsibility for governance of the Society and effective leadership of the Executive Committee. The role includes strategic guidance of the various Executive portfolios (Secretariat, Publications, Professional Learning, Networks, Communications, Memberships), chairing of Executive meetings and oversight of the various society activities. The President represents HERDSA at international and national forums and liaises with senior leaders. The nurturing of collaborative alliances with government authorities and other higher education societies forms a further part of the role.
HERDSA is seeking an individual who has a strong association with the Society, experience in leadership and effective communication skills. An understanding of higher education and its development is an advantage. Sponsorship from the candidate’s institution is recommended, as the position requires considerable time commitment and requires a dedicated leader who takes strong responsibility for the role. Potential candidates are welcome to speak with the current President Professor Christy Collis. (office@herdsa.org.au)
The nominee, proposer and seconder must be HERDSA members.
If more than one nomination is received, an election will be held.
The current President Professor Christy Collis is eligible to serve another term as President.
The Nomination Form can be requested from HERDSA by emailing office@herdsa.org.au.
Nominations should be in the following format.
• Name, Email and signature of Nominee
• Name, Email and signature of Proposer
• Name, Email and signature of Seconder
The nominee should also provide a single page statement outlining:
• Name, role and institutional affiliation
• Short biography (100 words maximum)
• Personal statement
Please forward to office@herdsa.org.au by 20th March, 2026
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TERNZ 2026, Auckland - Save the date
25-27 November
Kia ora,
The HERDSA NZ Branch committee is pleased to announce that 2026 TERNZ conference will be hosted by the Business School, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
Please save the dates 25-27 November 2026 in your calendars. More information to come in due course.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Ngā mihi,
Angela Tsai
Secretary, HERDSA NZ Branch
Further information: https://herdsa.org.nz/ternz/ternz-philosophy
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Join us for the launch of the HEDx Student Experience Podcast
23 February 2026
Hosted by Martin Betts (HEDx CEO) and Kelly Matthews (The University Of Queensland), this special event will introduce the latest HEDx initiative – the HEDx Student Experience, bringing student perspectives directly into conversations about the future of higher education. Between drinks, nibbles, and great conversations, two panels amazing panels will provoke thought on why we need to think differently about the student experience. Panels will include influential student and staff leaders — Felix Hughes (President, National Union of Students), Kerri-Lee Krause (TEQSA Senior Commissioner), Weihong Liang (President, International Students Representative Council of Australia), George Williams (VC WSU), Sam Jacob (CEO, Collarts) and more!
DATE: 23 February 2026 (Monday after Future Campus event and evening before start of UA Conference)
TIME: 5.30-7.00pm
VENUE: Binara Room, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1 Binara Street, Canberra ACT 2601
Light refreshments will be served
Free but registration is required
Further information: https://events.humanitix.com/hedx-student-experience-podcast-launch
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CRADLE Seminar Series: 'Preparing graduates for an AI-evolving world (of work)'
Wednesday 18 March - 2.00 pm - 3.30 pm (AEDT)
Register now for the next CRADLE seminar on 18 March. You'll hear from Deakin's Dr Danni Hamilton, A/Prof. Lauren Hansen and Prof. Phillip Dawson as they share six curriculum-wide recommendations to prepare graduates for the AI-evolving world (of work).
AI is reshaping professional work, creating ethical, technical, and creative challenges that higher education must address or risk leaving graduates unprepared. Curricula need to go beyond safeguarding assessments to actively develop the capabilities students will need to succeed in the AI-evolving workplace. To address this challenge, six curriculum-wide recommendations are proposed. These recommendations respond pragmatically to sector and employer needs and offer a roadmap for curriculum transformation, ensuring higher education fulfils its core purpose while preparing graduates for an unknowable future world (of work).
To learn more about the recommendations and how they can help us prepare graduates for increasingly unknowable futures, join us at 2.00 pm (AEDT) in person at Deakin Downtown or online.
Further information: https://cradle-seminar-preparing-graduates-for-an-AI-evolving-world.even...
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On the Shoulders of Giants: Protecting cultural knowledge using AI- A conversation with Peter-Lucas Jones.
Thursday 19th March, 12-1pm AEDT
As universities grapple with the rapid uptake of generative AI, critical questions are emerging around ethics, equity and ownership of knowledge. What can we learn from innovation leaders who are already building AI systems grounded in cultural responsibility and community governance?
Peter-Lucas Jones works at the intersection of AI and Indigenous sovereignty. He led the development of a suite of highly accurate AI language tools for te reo Māori to accelerate language revitalisation. Central to this work is kaitiakitanga (cultural guardianship).
As a kaitiaki (guardian) of the data, Peter-Lucas developed a licensing framework that maintains Māori data sovereignty and ensures contributing speakers retain ownership of their knowledge. His work offers a practical model for community-led AI development that challenges extractive approaches to data, open-source norms and knowledge production in higher education.
This session invites you to rethink how AI can be designed, governed and taught – in ways that are ethically robust, culturally grounded, and genuinely aligned with the public good.'
Register here: https://otsogmarch2026.eventbrite.com.au/?aff=HERDSA
Further information: https://otsogmarch2026.eventbrite.com.au/?aff=HERDSA
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Registration open - Webinar 25 March 2026- Identity in Teaching and Learning (2)
25 March 2026
The ISSOTL Grand Challenges for SoTL subgroup working on the theme of how identities affect teaching and learning is hosting a second free webinar:
Wednesday 25 March
1300-1400GMT
Zoom
Papers and Lightning Talks:
Welcoming class into educational spaces (Rachael O'Connor, Stacey Mottershaw and Nadine Cavigioli)
SHIFTing Identity: A Framework for Building Professional Identity Formation in Health Professions Education (Sally Arif)
Equity, Care, and Connection: Reframing Blended Learning through CALD Student Identities (Chen Zheng)
Finding my space as a scholar: An autoethnographic journey of identity formation through scholarship (Raazia Moosa)
Belonging as second career academics (Catriona Hyde and Lisa Wakefield)
Registration: https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lfYP6BaLQEGz9GMoYYHIFA
Questions? Please contact Dr Carol Robinson, co-chair of the ISSOTL Grand Challenge #4 subgroup. Email: carol.robinson@york.ac.uk
Further information: https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lfYP6BaLQEGz9GMoYY
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New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
Bridging the divide: glowing possibilities of transcultural doctoral education in a Balinese-Australian case study, I. Gusti Agung Paramitha Eka Putri, Helen Widdop Quinton & Mark Selkrig, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2593906
Dropout intention in doctoral studies: modelling the roles of demands, resources, engagement and burnout, Jae Y. Han, Tim E. Powers, Megan Waldhuber, Jennifer Short & Zach Swiecki, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2615301
Student perspectives on ‘critical compassion’ in higher education: the Nurture-U compassionate campus project, Jemima Dooley, Vee Okobia, Nouf Alsaadi, Jay Bate, Charles Hyde, Yashvi Prajapati, Mariyah Islam, Polly Card, Felicity Thomas, Edward Watkins, Louise Lawrence & Nicola Byrom, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2615302
Impact of Advance HE Fellowships on professional identity as an educator: an Australian study, Mahbub Sarkar, Tim Fawns, Letizia Gramaglia, Lyn Komarzynski & Allie Clemans, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2607712
Uncertain tomorrows: what is the role of career competencies in university students’ future anxiety? Ayhan Ünal, Zeynep Görgülü & Hasan Bozgeyikli, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2615300
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In the spirit of reconciliation HERDSA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australasia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.