Events

Keen on learning more about the innovative research happening at academyEX? Connect with us at Converge!

Designed as a dynamic hub to cultivate the research culture at academyEX, Converge is a safe and supportive environment where students, alumni, staff and industry professionals come together to collaboratively discuss and critique research ideas. It’s a great opportunity to learn and unlearn!

Vision. Vulnerability. Visibility. Versatility.

Become the change your learners need.

Join Jill Farquharson (MCE Postgraduate Director) and Herbert Thomas (MCE Programme Lead) for a fast-paced lunchtime session for educators ready to lead with purpose and impact.

Whether you’re guiding a school, a classroom, or preparing for leadership ahead — this 30-minute event invites you to reflect, connect, and grow.

You’ll explore:

• A fresh, empowering framework for leadership

• Real strategies to help you lead with clarity and heart

• Practical ways to adapt and influence, no matter your role

Meet our Next EXceptional Voice

A quiet disruptor with a powerful message.

Max’s research into the career progression of LGBTQIA+, Takatāpui and MVPFAFF+ professionals in Aotearoa is both deeply personal and strategically urgent. In this episode, Max shares what it means to challenge systems from within and reimagine what inclusive leadership could look like.

Journey and Impact

Max’s work is grounded, courageous and full of care.

Through their Master’s research, they:

• Investigated the hidden barriers faced by rainbow professionals

• Created a comprehensive framework to address the Rainbow Ceiling

• Offered practical, culturally responsive strategies for real change

• Provided a clear path for organisations to lead with integrity and impact

Our children are the first generation raised by algorithms. Likes shape self-worth, attention is monetised, and AI “friends” are always on. Some call it a crisis - others see it as a new kind of connection.

Is this tech empowering our children, or quietly reshaping childhood in ways we’ll regret?

Join education futurist Frances Valintine, Ana Ivanovic-Tongue, and a panel of experts for a bold, urgent debate on how social media and AI are influencing the next generation.

Are you concerned about how student use of AI is impacting the learning value of your assessments? You are not alone.

This session will unpack the challenges and opportunities of AI in authentic assessment and examine how AI literacy can help us adapt with purpose. You will leave with ideas, insights, and practical tools to strengthen your assessment design in a world where AI is part of the learning environment.

Let’s Talk About Classrooms as Braver Spaces – A Free Webinar for Educators

How can we create braver spaces where students and educators engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations? Join Milla and Kerri for an interactive session where we explore practical strategies for fostering open, courageous dialogue in our classrooms.

• Learn key lessons from research on braver spaces

• Reflect on how to support critical discussions while maintaining respect

• Discuss how to apply these ideas to your own teaching

• Learn how Kerri has applied the idea of braver spaces in her research on dialogic learning, and Milla on gender inclusion

• Discover how the Master of Contemporary Education programme can help you lead change in education

Milla teaches on the DCL and MCE programmes, and Kerri is an alumni, so at the end of the session you can also ask about the scholarships and opportunities available to study with us.

The End of the Non-Player Character Era: Leadership for a World That Won't Wait

We’re living through a climate crisis, cultural division, algorithmic manipulation and business-as-usual politics. In the middle of this pressure cooker, where are the real leaders?

Too many are still stuck on autopilot — playing safe, recycling slogans, clinging to outdated corporate playbooks while the world spins off script.

2025 could be remembered as the year of passive highlights and clickbait leadership — or the year we stopped waiting for someone else to act.

Join Frances Valintine and a panel of disruptive thinkers as they ask the hard questions:

• Why silence in leadership is a luxury we can’t afford.

• Why do boardrooms keep recycling broken strategies?

• And what does real leadership look like in a world that’s tired of pretending?

This is more than a conversation. It’s a call to action.

If there is one event to add to your business calendar - this is it. In our fast paced world the only constant is change. You can either move with it, or let it pass you by. Join academyEX founder and renowned futurist, Frances Valintine for the popular Quarterly Briefing to keep ahead of groundbreaking trends in Business and Technology Disruption.

With her expertise in global trends, Frances will unpack the future of technology, sustainability, and education, and introduce you to the game-changing AI tools you didn’t even know you needed.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired, challenged, and equipped for what’s about to change the world (it's not what you think!)

You're invited to an inspiring and interactive showcase of innovation in education!

Join our Masters of Contemporary Education students as they present the groundbreaking findings from their Practice-Based Change Projects, tackling some of the most pressing and exciting challenges in education today.

Explore cutting-edge topics such as:

• Artificial intelligence in education – Transforming how we teach and learn

• Developing staff capability – Building stronger, future-ready educators

• Addressing neurodiversity – Creating inclusive learning environments

• Designing STEM/STEAM curricula – Inspiring the innovators of tomorrow

• Blended and flipped learning – Engaging students in new, dynamic ways

• Culturally responsive/sustaining learning design – Honoring diversity in every classroom

• Universal design for learning – Ensuring education for all

• Gamification – Making learning fun and impactful

• Student agency – Empowering learners to take charge

• Addressing inequality in education – Bridging gaps and fostering equity

Whether you're looking for fresh ideas to implement, practical strategies to adopt, or simply a space to connect with like-minded educators, this is an event you won't want to miss!

Be part of the conversation. Be part of the change.