Professor Becky Huxley - Binns, Pro Vice-Chancellor, (Education) University of Hull

This opening keynote explores some of the challenges presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution and what these challenges might mean for the development of programmes of higher education. Becky consider sthe ways that current higher educational norms are evolving in the light of the integration of the digital, biological and technological, causing a blurring of reality. This is an era of huge disruption, but the predictions are that it will result in an improvement in global quality of life, a reduction in global inequalities and a raising of global income.

So, what is our role in helping students prepare for their future? How can we ensure a high-quality academic experience for a fairer, brighter future? We need to think of creative solutions to encourage our students to do the same. We need to consider the knowledge that they learn and the skills they develop. There may have to be a paradigm shift from knowledge as the backbone of the higher education experience, to a recognition and reflection of what human traits will be needed when machines ‘know’ what we do – and more.