Abstract submissions

Main Theme: 
The Emerging University: Co-creating Learning Ecosystems for the Futures We Need


1. 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.


2. (un)Conference Theme: The Emerging University: Co-creating Learning Ecosystems for the Futures We Need


Our central theme asks us to move beyond preservation and towards active, collaborative creation. In a landscape shaped by disruption, the university must be more than a repository of knowledge; it must be a living ecosystem of knowledge engagement, generation and production. This ecosystem is co-created by and for students, university staff, and communities, for the multiple alternative futures we can conceive of. To explore this, we will focus on five interlocking subthemes, each a flashpoint for the larger storm we embrace in all its tumult and its promise.



3. Sub-themes











Submit abstracts here


4. Submission Guidelines

In the spirit of co-creation and emergent thinking, HELTASA 2026 will again follow its (un)conference format- a deliberate departure from passive, show-and-tell presentations toward a dynamic, participant-driven experience. Like the Highveld thunderstorm itself, our time together will be charged with energy, disruption, and the possibility of new growth. The agenda will be shaped not only by what is presented but by what emerges from the collision and alchemy of ideas, the conversations sparked in corridors, and the collective sensemaking of all who gather. The (un)conference will be offered in a hybrid by design format, to accommodate both in-person and virtual participation. We will strive to create an equitable, cohesive experience across modes, ensuring that remote participants are not merely observers but active contributors to the conversations, provocations and sensemaking that grounds an (un)conference.


Sessions could take the form of a in-person only, hybrid (in-person and virtual participants), and virtual-only participants.

We invite scholarly contributions that are rigorous, reflective, and generative - contributions that draw on evidence and practice while also surfacing questions, inviting dialogue, and co-creating responses to the challenges we face. Whether grounded in empirical research, practitioner wisdom, or emergent experimentation, we welcome work that deepens our collective understanding of what works, what remains unresolved, and what might be possible for The Emerging University. Below are the formats through which you can participate. Presenters may indicate their presence for in-person, hybrid or virtual formats and the programme committee will endeavour to accommodate these preferences 

wherever possible.



Formats for Participation




5. Submission Guidelines

Proposals must include the following information:
Proposal Title (not more than 20 words)
Presenter (and co-presenter where applicable) information
Format preference (from the list above)
Preferred mode: Available modes are in-person, hybrid, or virtual. (As the conference is hybrid by design, a specific motivation is required for in-person mode for consideration by the organising committee)
Proposal (up to 500 words, with 3-5 keywords.) Proposals should address relevant subtheme(s), the context, research question/objective, methods, findings and scholarly contributions, etc.
Engagement questions: 2-3 questions designed to spark conversation and involve participants in dialogue
For workshops: A brief outline of the interactive structure and participant engagement strategy, including how in-person and virtual participants (if applicable) will be integrated


6. Timelines


Call for Proposals Released: 22nd May 2026

Proposal Submission Deadline: 7 August 2026

Notification of Acceptance: 24 August 2026

Standard Registration Deadline: 31 October 2026

Upload of Presentations: 22 November 2026

(Un)Conference Dates: 1-4 December 2026


Submit abstracts here


References

Bearman, M., Ryan, J., & Ajjawi, R. (2023). Discourses of artificial intelligence in higher education: A critical literature review. Higher Education, 86(2), 369-385.

Council on Higher Education (CHE). (2021). VitalStats: Public Higher Education, 2019. Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.

Jansen, J. D. (2022). Corrupted: A Study of Chronic Dysfunction in South African Universities. Johannesburg: Wits University Press.

Mbembe, A. (2016). Decolonizing the university: New directions. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 15(1), 29-45.

Swiecki, Z., Khosravi, H., Chen, G., Martinez-Maldonado, R., Lodge, J. M., Milligan, S., & Gašević, D. (2022). Assessment in the age of artificial intelligence. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100075.