Reimagining higher education at TransformED 2025
Professor Stephen Boyle, Vice President (Education) of Monash University Malaysia, giving his welcoming remarks at TransformED 2025
TransformED 2025, an annual learning and teaching conference jointly organised by Monash University Malaysia and Monash University Indonesia, was held on 27 November 2025 at the Hilton Petaling Jaya. It was attended by an audience of over 200, comprising educators, education leaders, and industry professionals.
A full house of over 200 attendees at the conference
The day was packed with masterclasses, hands-on workshops, and presentations on innovative and creative approaches to higher education and the student experience that kept the crowd engaged.
It kicked off with a welcoming remark from Professor Stephen Boyle, Vice President (Education) of Monash University Malaysia, followed by the first masterclass, Engaging with AI in Assessments, by Professor Ari Seligmann, Associate Dean of Education at Monash University, and Associate Professor Fiona Wallace, Director of Education at the University of Warwick. Their masterclass focused on encouraging participants to critically consider integrating AI in their respective disciplines, with a focus on transforming assessment design.
Professor Ari Seligmann, Associate Dean of Education at Monash University, and Associate Professor Fiona Wallace, Director of Education at the University of Warwick, presenting the first masterclass of the day, Engaging with AI in Assessments
The second masterclass of the day was called Publishing Education Research: Getting Past the Desk Reject and Out to Reviewers, held by Dr Cally Guerin, Researcher Developer at La Trobe University. With her experience as Joint Executive Editor of the Q1 journal Higher Education (HE) Research and Development, Dr Guerin shared revealing patterns behind desk rejections of submissions to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and how one can successfully get published in HE research.
Dr Cally Guerin, Researcher Developer at La Trobe University and Joint Executive Editor of the Q1 journal Higher Education (HE) Research and Development hosting her masterclass, Publishing Education Research: Getting Past the Desk Reject and Out to Reviewers
Another highlight of the day was a workshop by Monash University Malaysia’s AI Change Champions (AICCs), Creating Micro-Learning Content with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It guided participants in designing and producing engaging micro-learning video content using generative artificial intelligence tools in a simple three-stage process, allowing educators to transform subject matter expertise into short-form (3 to 5-minute) video resources that are showcase-ready.
Monash University Malaysia’s AI Change Champions (AICCs) hosting their workshop, Creating Micro-Learning Content with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Erica Brady, Associate Professor and Course Director of Marketing, and Dr Peter Wagstaff, Senior Lecturer from Monash University, led a workshop on “Assessment in the Age of AI: Interactive Oral Examinations at Scale”. The workshop empowered educators to implement interactive oral examinations at their institutions, whether for small or large courses.
Associate Professor and Associate Dean Learning & Teaching, Betty Exintaris, Deanna Ganyu, Project Manager Inclusive Teaching Practices, and Senior Lecturer Dr Nilushi Karunaratne, also from Monash University, had a workshop called “From Awareness to Action: Developing Inclusive Teaching Practices”, helping educators build supportive classrooms through a reflective Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI) framework.
The “Peers with a Purpose: Reimagining and Recognising Teaching through Collegial Dialogue” workshop introduced a practice-led framework for using peer observation and professional dialogue to enhance teaching innovation and support professional recognition, led by Jaya Kumar Karunagharan, Assistant Professor in Psychology and Director of the Nottingham Recognition Scheme, and Professor Hazel Melanie Ramos, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
From Monash University Malaysia, lecturer and licensed and registered counsellor Tan Jia Yue hosted a thought-provoking workshop on “Working With and Responding to Students’ Distress”. With university students navigating all sorts of pressures and research statistics showing that one in five students has a current mental health diagnosis, this was an important dialogue to have in order for educators to recognise patterns and extend help.
Building on its earlier success, TransformED 2025 returned with the Employability Pitch: Career Ready, Future Focused, showcasing educators’ innovative practices, curriculum designs, and learning activities that prepare students for the demands of the 21st-century workforce.
Participant feedback showed that they found the sessions of the day insightful and engaging
Providing another perspective on a similar topic was a roundtable discussion on Bridging the Gap: Graduate Skills and Industry Expectations, with special guests, Datuk Wira Shahul Dawood, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Green Packet Berhad, William Teh, Director, SEA Customer Engagement at Michael Page, and Heng Sinn Yen, Energy Market Analyst - Strategy, JERA Asia. Moderated by Wan Amirah Binti Wan Usamah, a Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute, the session examined the employability gap through the shared responsibilities of universities, employers, and policymakers.
From left: Heng Sinn Yen, Energy Market Analyst - Strategy, JERA Asia, William Teh, Director, SEA Customer Engagement at Michael Page, Datuk Wira Shahul Dawood, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Green Packet Berhad, and Wan Amirah Binti Wan Usamah, a Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute
TransformED 2025 introduced a side quest activity that encouraged participants and rewarded three attendees with curated prizes, including an Insta360 Link 2C 4K AI Webcam, a 1-year Canva Pro Subscription, or a Logitech R400 Wireless Presenter.
The event concluded with a special Gala Dinner, which also hosted the awards ceremony that recognised outstanding contributions to learning and teaching.
With the support of Q-SYS, Explorance, Studiosity, and Guroo, TransformED 2025 celebrated innovation in teaching and learning and reaffirmed a shared commitment to shaping a more dynamic, future-ready educational landscape in the years ahead.