Available to Advance HE Members only
In a time of rapid transformation and global complexity, higher education leaders face unprecedented challenges - from AI transformation and financial pressures to navigating political contexts and building resilient, inclusive institutions.
Executives at the Leading Edge is an exclusive series of monthly two-hour online events designed for Executive Leaders in higher education. Each session features provocative keynote inputs from global thought leaders on themes that matter most across resilient leadership, institutional transformation, navigating political contexts, AI-enabled change, and leading on contested topics.
Co-created with senior university leaders and scheduled for international participation, these curated conversations move beyond talk to deliver purpose-driven and actionable insights that support your institutional priorities through diverse perspectives.
The sessions will offer a rare opportunity to connect with peers across continents, share insight, and explore solutions to shared challenges.
The request to participate form is now open. Apply early to increase your chance at securing a space.
Are you interested?
The request to participate form is now open for Executives at the Leading Edge.
Why join?
Global Peer Network
Connect with Vice-Chancellors, Principals, and Executive Leaders from around the world who share your challenges and ambitions.
Actionable Insights
Move beyond generic conferences to curated conversations that deliver meaning-making and practical strategies you can implement.
International Perspectives
Gain fresh viewpoints on wicked problems through approaches rooted in inclusion and shared responsibility across borders.
What Makes This Different
- Co-created with senior leaders: Each session is designed in partnership with university executives to ensure relevance to your institutional priorities.
- Beyond surface-level discussion: These curated conversations provoke thinking and move toward meaning-making and actionable insight.
- Adaptive approach to wicked problems: Tackle complex challenges that don't have simple solutions through inclusive, boundary-spanning dialogue.
- Strategic reflection and peer learning: Create space for new thinking and leadership styles with the right people and the right provocations.
- Efficient time investment: Just two hours monthly to gain renewed understanding of global issues and how to tackle them.
Who is Executives at the Leading Edge for?
Executives at the Leading Edge is designed exclusively for senior leaders who shape the strategic direction of higher education institutions worldwide.
- Vice-Chancellors
- Principals
- Provosts
- Chief Executives
- Deputy Vice-Chancellors
- Pro Vice-Chancellors
- Executive Directors (Academic, Research and Professional Services)
- Chief Operating Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Deans
Global Participation Welcome - Sessions are scheduled to accommodate time zones worldwide, bringing together leaders from across continents to share insights and explore solutions to shared challenges.
Thought-Provoking Themes
Each monthly two-hour session features provocative keynote inputs from global thought leaders, co-created with senior university leaders to address the challenges that matter most.
- 5 March 2026, 08:00-10:00 GMT: Resilient Systems: Leaders and Institutions
Build adaptive capacity and sustainability in an era of constant disruption. - 16 April 2026, 08:00-10:00 BST: Transforming Institutions Through Inclusive Leadership
Harness diversity of thought to drive innovation and meaningful change. - 8 May 2026, 08:00-10:00 BST: Navigating a Political Context
Balance free speech, academic freedom, and inclusion amid rising populism and regulatory oversight. - 9 June 2026, 08:00-10:00 BST: AI-Enabled Transformation
Reimagine assessment, learning, and institutional operations in the age of artificial intelligence. - 8 July 2026, 08:00-10:00 BST: Leading Systemic Change for Inclusive Learning
Shift pockets of good practice to inclusive institutional habits.
The request to participate form is now open. Apply early to increase your chance at securing a space.
Executives at the Leading Edge gives participants access to a trusted peer community where they can engage with global thought leaders on the questions that keep them up at night - from AI transformation and political pressures to building resilient, inclusive institutions.
These aren't generic conferences; they're curated conversations co-created with senior leaders that move beyond discussion to actionable insight.
You will gain international perspectives that help you see key sector challenges from a different angle and make better decisions for your institution's future.Fiona Lennoxsmith – Head of Leadership, Governance and Management – Advance HE
Speakers
Professor Shaun Ewen B.App.Sc. (Physio) (UniSA), M.Int.St. (UniSA), and D.Ed. (Melb)
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education)
,
Griffith University
