Institutions from across Australia and New Zealand’s tertiary education sector came together in Melbourne in November at Ellucian’s APAC User Conference 2025.
Guided by the theme, “Innovating Through Partnership: Technology That Builds a Connected Community,” attendees took part in discussions on how collaboration and technology can collectively shape the future of tertiary education. Richie Teh and Rebecca Perry, Ellucian’s Account Executives for APAC, share highlights from the event with insights from sector speakers and students on how teaching and learning can become more student-centred.
What’s Top of Mind for Institutions in Australia and New Zealand?
It was fascinating to hear perspectives from across the full spectrum of APAC’s tertiary education sector. From Group of 8, to vocational and regional institutions, everyone shared a common focus – to deliver a smoother, more personalised experience for students. As one senior leader reflected, “The goal is to make every step simple and intuitive for students, from the moment they apply for a course right through to graduation.”
Discussions focused on some of the region’s key challenges, from student retention to how institutions can best equip learners with lifelong skills to compete in the global workplace.
Digital transformation and collaboration were golden threads throughout, with several themes consistent hot topics during fireside chats and breakout sessions.
• AI Use in Tertiary Education
AI was the main topic of four separate sessions which took place across the two day event to explore how tools such as Ellucian Student can improve the experience of students and staff.
One discussion hosted by Zac Ashkanasky and Megan Huisman, Principals at Nous Group, emphasised the importance of leadership in driving the cultural change, trust, and accountability needed to support AI strategies across the institution.
• Optimising Systems with SaaS
There was a lot of excitement about cloud-based systems and Software as a Service (SaaS), particularly how these technologies can connect departments and make information easier to access and share securely.
Mike Wulff, Ellucian’s Chief Product & Technology Officer showcased some of the innovative SaaS tools our R&D team has been developing to help institutions run more efficiently, reliably, and scale operations quickly.
• Collaboration for Change
Many attendees felt collaboration would become increasingly important as more institutions look at streamlining how they operate. With plenty of opportunities for institutions to network and share ideas at the conference, conversations and collaboration flowed.
Kevin Bell, Head of Higher Education at Amazon Web Services (AWS), also explained how AWS’ partnership with Ellucian has provided institutions in Australia and New Zealand with strong technical foundations to plan for the future.
Another discussion led by Libby Hughan and Leah Bromilow, Directors of Student Management Transformation at KPMG, gave institutions the opportunity to hear about and share best practice examples to help them move away from legacy systems.
• Cybersecurity in an Era of Innovation
Tertiary education senior leaders and Ellucian experts explored the latest approaches to managing cyber risks. This included effective strategies to improve data governance and safeguard critical information in a way that allows the sector to continue to explore the full potential of advanced technology such as AI and data analytics.
What Insights did Students Share as Highlights of the Event?
Students from Torrens University, Holmesglen Institute, and Western Sydney University took part in a panel discussion about AI tools.
Some of the earliest adopters of AI tools, students are using them to study, collaborate, and prepare for their future careers.
Students also spoke openly about various aspects of student life, too. They shared what really mattered to them and urged institutions to recognise the ongoing pressures of the cost of living. They pushed for personalised learning pathways that fit around their work, life, and study commitments and for more support to use AI ethically and proactively to prepare for working life.
As one student put it, “Being able to plan my courses around my job and still graduate on time makes me feel in control of my degree and my future.”
Many welcomed their institutions’ move to give students greater control over their own learning journeys and more choice in the types of courses and micro-credentials they could study. They felt more could be done to provide hands-on experience and work placements, to help them to develop the skills they need for their future careers.
Students’ views reinforced a key message from the conference that the sector’s digital transformation should align with their needs.
How Did the Conference Support Collaboration and Community in Australian Tertiary Education?
It’s not often enough that senior leaders, IT teams, and student support staff can be in the same room talking about the issues they experience every day and how AI and SaaS platforms can help.
What was clear from our conversations, was just how fast attitudes to doing things differently are changing in the sector. Connecting and learning from one another cannot be understated. It gives institutions fresh ideas and renewed energy to enhance student experiences through digital transformation.
Looking Ahead
Those two days at the Melbourne conference showed us the clear determination of tertiary education institutions across APAC to shape a more agile, student-centred, and digitally enabled future.
We left the event inspired by the sector’s appetite for change and the practical steps institutions are taking to modernise systems, rethink processes, and use technology to deliver the education experiences students want and expect.
Find out how institutions across APAC can support student success with Ellucian Student.
