Leading with Humanity: Shaping the Future of Education at ICMS

How do we prepare students to thrive in a world where information is everywhere, but wisdom is rare?

This was the bold challenge posed by Dr Sonia Khosa, keynote speaker at ICMS Faculty Day, as she urged educators to rethink how they teach in an age of polished outputs and artificial intelligence.

Dr Khosa, from the University of Sydney, didn’t hold back. Drawing on her work with industry-focused projects, she highlighted a troubling trend: students are submitting flawless written work, but their voices are missing. 

“It’s like their work could have been written by anyone, or even a machine,” she said.  

“That personal voice… if you’re just going to churn out materials, the gap is only going to get wider.” 

Her message hit home: education isn’t about perfection; it’s about authenticity.  

“Information is free. Judgement is priceless,” she said.  

“The institutions that teach students how to think wisely when the stakes are real will define the next century of higher education.” 

Teaching Students to Embrace Uncertainty

Dr Khosa also called on educators to help students face the unknown with confidence. “We’re living in uncertain times. We don’t know what the future holds. But that’s okay. What matters is that students learn to connect with that uncertainty and complexity,” she said. 

Her words sparked lively discussions among ICMS faculty, setting the tone for a day of collaboration and fresh ideas. 

Tackling Big Questions Together

Faculty Day wasn’t just about talk, it was about action. 

Professor Heidi Le Sueur kicked things off with strategy updates, while Jonathan Hvaal and Joanne Gao led sessions on the updated AIED Framework.  

The focus?  

Using AI responsibly in teaching and assessment, and giving students meaningful, AI-supported feedback. 

Natalie Watt’s session on community engagement challenged faculty to think bigger: how can civic leadership and real-world partnerships become a core part of the curriculum? 

Celebrating ICMS Excellence

The day also celebrated the achievements of ICMS staff, with three Trimester 3 2025 Scholarly Practice Grants awarded: 

• Dr. Nicole Hay (Associate Dean, Tourism, Hospitality, and Events): For her paper, “Subject redevelopment as strategy: Connecting students, industry, and graduate identity in higher education”, presented at the CAUTHE Conference in February 2026. 

• Katrina Denoux (Learning, Teaching and Innovation Manager and Lecturer): For co-authoring and presenting “Connecting wellness tourism clustering and social impact: Transformational Experience Models for sustainable tourism destinations” with Dr. Johnnel Smith at the CAUTHE Conference in February 2026. 

• Dr. Johnnel Smith (Senior Program Manager, Tourism and Hospitality): For co-authoring and presenting “Why or ‘Wine’ Not? An analysis of Immersive Learning Excursions and Expert-Led Lectures in Wine Education” with Jen Lee and Fifita Evans at the CAUTHE Conference in February 2026. 

Looking Ahead

As ICMS celebrates its 30th anniversary, Faculty Day ended with a renewed sense of purpose.  

Inspired by Dr Khosa’s call to action, the ICMS community is ready to tackle 2026 with bold ideas, a focus on authenticity, and a commitment to shaping the future of education.