HELTASA Annual (Un)Conference 2026

The Gathering Storm

Higher education globally is at a crossroads - buffeted by questions of relevance and responsiveness, disrupted by technological shifts and socio-political pressures, and tasked with preparing a place of learning for students who will be expected to navigate a profoundly unpredictable future. This (un)conference focuses on the ‘emerging university’ as a space requiring continuous reimagination and co-creation. For South African higher education, global uncertainty converges with an unequal society and its unique set of context-specific demands: the still-ongoing project of decolonisation, fiscal constraints, and the urgent need to provide a rich learning environment where students can prepare themselves for a complex and rapidly evolving labour market (CHE, 2021; Jansen, 2022; Mbembe, 2016). Simultaneously, the rise of generative AI (GenAI) has introduced a new layer of complexity forcing university teachers to confront profound questions about academic integrity, the nature of knowledge, and the very purpose of higher education in an age of machine intelligence (Bearman et al., 2023; Kramm, N., & McKenna, S., 2023; Swiecki et al., 2022). These pressures demand a fundamental renegotiation of the “what, how, and why” of university education.

It is against this backdrop that we envision an evolving institution: The Emerging University - a dynamic, responsive entity that is agile in its practice, deliberate in its values, and which is co-created by all who have a stake in its future. These include students, university teachers, academic developers, support staff, and the broader communities, partners, and stakeholders within and beyond the university. It is a university that values productive agency in the face of disruption, choosing instead to harness the electric energy of the moment to renegotiate learning and teaching within the university and beyond. Our (un)conferencing approach reimagines, re-shifts, and refocuses through collective conversations, the entanglement and alchemy of ideas, and collective sensemaking about higher education’s emerging possibilities.

Wits University is honoured to welcome you to this year’s gathering in the storm.

Wits is situated in the heart of Braamfontein, Johannesburg - a city described as the economic engine of South Africa, yet one defined by significant intersecting inequalities reflecting the very challenges that higher education itself must confront and help redress. December is the season of Highveld thunderstorms that shatter the stillness with sudden, brilliant flashes, but brings the rain that will nourish new life. This season offers fertile ground for dialogic engagements and conversations among some of the passionate voices in South African Higher Education. With this spirit, we invite you to spark new conversations, challenge entrenched assumptions, and clear the air for new growth. We extend this call to those who are ready to stand in the storm as we co-create new futures, committing to collaboratively unearth the underlying systemic mechanisms that drive our current challenges in higher education to illuminate new possibilities, pathways, and transitions towards societal justice, redress, and human flourishing for all.

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