The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia warmly invites you to the 2027 Annual HERDSA Conference, to be held from 5–8 July 2027 at the National Convention Centre Canberra | NCCC. 

The HERDSA 2027 theme, Re-valuing Higher Education: Renewing Purpose, Possibility, and Practice, invites us to pause, reflect and consider the purpose is of higher education, who it serves, and how its value can be strengthened in changing times. 

Across Australasia and beyond, higher education is navigating significant social, economic, technological and institutional shifts. These changes bring complexity, but they also create an important opportunity to renew our collective commitment to learning, teaching, scholarship, leadership and the public good. HERDSA 2027 will foreground the strengths, creativity and commitment that exist across the sector, while creating space to engage constructively with both the challenges and opportunities shaping higher education. 

Hosted in Canberra, the nation’s capital, by the ACT and NSW branches, the conference offers a timely setting for conversations about the relationship between higher education, policy, community, professional practice and civic life. It will provide an inclusive and energising space for educators, researchers, academic developers, learning designers, leaders, students and other stakeholders to share ideas, examine challenges, and explore how educational leadership can reconnect purpose with action. 

Through keynotes, scholarly presentations, workshops, interactive sessions and networking opportunities, HERDSA 2027 will support critical dialogue, evidence-informed practice and collegial exchange across the sector. Together, we will explore how higher education can be re-valued through inclusive practice, curriculum innovation, assessment renewal, student partnership, academic development and research-informed change. 

The conference kicks off with pre-conference workshops on Monday 5 July, followed by three days of thought-provoking keynotes, interactive sessions, and meaningful connections with colleagues from Australia, Asia, and beyond. Can’t make it in person? Join us for a dedicated one-day virtual program on Tuesday 6 July designed to bring the conversation to you – wherever you are. 

We look forward to welcoming you to HERDSA 2027 in Canberra, the nation’s capital, where our community will come together to renew connection, confidence and shared purpose, and strengthen higher education’s contribution to the public good.