2026 EAB Roundtable for Senior University Leaders

EAB invites you to join fellow senior university leaders in Sydney on 25–26 August for a two-day roundtable focused on one of the sector’s defining leadership challenges: how to compete more effectively in a tougher market while building the internal capacity to act with confidence.

Across Australia and New Zealand, institutions are facing growing pressure to clarify their value proposition, sustain international enrolment, improve student retention, and make faster, more evidence-informed decisions. At the same time, many leaders are grappling with the operational barriers that make strategic progress difficult: fragmented data environments, unclear governance, and physical assets that are costly to manage but not always aligned to institutional priorities.

Day one will focus on market position and growth, including how universities can sharpen their positioning to focus on what students care about most and respond to mounting pressure around international recruitment, retention, and long-term sustainability. Day two will turn to institutional execution, exploring how stronger data governance, clearer decision rights, and more strategic stewardship of space can help leaders move from ambition to action.

In addition to EAB-led research and facilitated discussion, attendees will have opportunities to compare approaches with peers, reflect on institutional priorities, and pressure-test how others are navigating similar tensions around growth, governance, and execution. The goal is not just to surface challenges, but to help leaders leave with clearer framing, stronger guiding questions, and a better sense of what it will take to build the conditions for sustainable growth.

2025 attendees emphasised both the power of peer exchange and the practical impact of the roundtable:

• “These sessions create rare space to step back, connect with peers, and think differently. I left with pages of ideas and a clearer sense of how to approach transformation across our institution.”
• “The roundtable gave us practical ways to rethink our operating model—and the conversations were just as valuable as the content.”

Event Details

Audience: Attendance is open to two senior leadership team members with academic, operational, and strategy remits.
 
For travel planning: The roundtable will commence with lunch at 12:00 on 25 August and adjourn at 12:00 on 26 August. EAB will host a dinner for attendees following the presentations on 25 August. Further agenda details are forthcoming.

For hotel recommendations, contact us at [email protected].