Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy

*Check against delivery*

Good evening, everyone.

Can I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we gather, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation, and pay my respects to Elders past and present.

To Professor Andrew Deeks, President of the International Association of Universities and Vice-Chancellor of Murdoch University, distinguished guests, colleagues and friends from across the world – welcome to Australia.

It’s a real pleasure to join you here in Perth, and an honour for Universities Australia to support this important gathering.

I particularly want to acknowledge our international visitors.

With around 300 delegates representing more than 80 countries, this is a remarkable gathering of people united by a shared belief in the value of higher education.

And there’s perhaps no better place to have this conversation than Australia.

We are a country whose prosperity, progress and place in the world have been shaped by our universities.

Our institutions have helped build a modern, outward-looking nation.

They’ve educated generations of Australians, driven scientific breakthroughs, created opportunities and built connections that reach into every corner of the globe.

And they remain among Australia’s greatest international assets.

But tonight isn’t simply an opportunity to celebrate what universities have achieved.

It’s an opportunity to consider what the world needs from us next.

Because we are living through one of the most profound technological transformations in human history.

Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, how we learn, how we conduct research and how we understand the world around us.

It promises extraordinary advances in medicine, science, productivity and human discovery.

But it also raises some fundamental questions.

What does it mean to learn when information can be generated in seconds?

What does it mean to be an expert when technology can produce answers to almost any question?

And what is the role of a university in a world where knowledge is more accessible than ever before?

These aren’t small questions.

And they don’t have simple answers.

But I believe they point to something important.

The rise of AI doesn’t diminish the value of universities.

It reinforces it.

Because universities have never simply been places where information is transferred from one person to another.

They are places where people learn to question, to challenge, to think critically and to make sense of complexity.

Where new ideas are tested, conventional wisdom is challenged and knowledge is pursued for the benefit of society.

AI can generate information at extraordinary speed.

But information isn’t the same as understanding.

And intelligence, however sophisticated, isn’t a substitute for wisdom, judgement or human connection.

These are qualities that universities cultivate every day.

And they will become even more valuable in the years ahead.

Of course, universities must embrace technological change.

We must be prepared to rethink how we teach, how we assess learning, how we conduct research and how we prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

But we must also ensure that technological progress serves the public good.

That its benefits are shared.

That it doesn’t deepen existing inequalities.

And that the pursuit of innovation never comes at the expense of integrity, intellectual freedom or human dignity.

These are responsibilities that extend well beyond the borders of any one country.

And they are precisely why international collaboration matters.

The challenges facing our universities may look different in Perth, Paris, Nairobi or New Delhi.

But our underlying purpose is remarkably consistent.

To advance knowledge.

To create opportunity.

To improve lives.

And to leave the world better than we found it.

That shared purpose is what makes the International Association of Universities so important.

And it’s why gatherings like this, bringing together leaders from across the world, are so valuable.

Over the coming days, I hope you’ll challenge one another, exchange ideas, build new partnerships and take home perspectives that strengthen your institutions and the communities they serve.

Because the future of universities will not be determined by technology alone.

It will be determined by the choices we make about how that technology is used and the values we choose to uphold.

On behalf of Universities Australia and our 38 member universities, thank you to the International Association of Universities, Professor Deeks and the team at Murdoch University for bringing this conference to Australia.

We are proud to support it and delighted to welcome you.

I wish you an inspiring conference, productive conversations and a wonderful stay in Western Australia.

Thank you.