The future university: Purpose, people, pedagogy and planet

As global challenges accelerate, from AI to climate collapse, universities must reconceive their purpose beyond productivity and prestige. This theme explores how higher education institutions can balance innovation with integrity, advance inclusive pedagogies, and lead with foresight in service of planetary sustainability and human dignity. It invites a shift from disruption to discernment, from reaction to resonance, as universities shape meaningful, future-ready education.

• Inclusive education in an age of disruption
• The future of funding and financial sustainability
• Balancing technological advancement with ecological and ethical imperatives
• Cultivating slow, human-centred innovation and knowledge stewardship

Universities and society: Trust, justice and public good

Universities sit at the heart of society, not as ivory towers, but as civic anchors and agents of change. How can institutions rebuild trust, advance social justice and reaffirm their role as public goods? From decolonial learning to community-engaged research, the focus is on making higher education more inclusive, accountable and transformative, especially within polarised and unequal global contexts.

• Advancing justice, civic engagement and inclusive knowledge practices.
• Universities as catalysts for equity and well-being in their communities.
• Reclaiming integrity, collaboration and trust in fractured societies.
• Strengthening collaboration across academia, government, business and civil society.

Reframing global collaboration: Equity, co-creation and resilient societies

In an interconnected but asymmetrical academic landscape, universities must rethink the nature of international collaboration. Here, we will interrogate how institutions, especially from the Global South, can lead the creation of equitable and reciprocal partnerships that value co-creation over extraction. It explores new models of collaboration that centre mutual benefit, justice and shared leadership in global knowledge ecosystems.

• Building equitable, reciprocal and impactful international collaborations
• Strengthening regional leadership in global knowledge ecosystems
• Measuring success: Evaluating the impact of collaboration

Ethical AI, access and innovation

As society witnesses the rapid acceleration of technological change, it must also grapple with the deepening global inequities that accompany it. This theme will examine the good, the bad and the ugly of digital and AI technologies, and how higher education leaders can confront digital exclusion, harness the opportunities of an AI-driven industrial revolution and shape responsible AI ecosystems. It highlights regional-led innovation, inclusive infrastructure development and the critical role of higher education in ensuring that the digital future is equitable, ethical and empowering.

• Ethical leadership in the intelligence age
• Addressing digital inequalities and infrastructure gaps in education
• Regional-focused innovation in AI, data and research

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