Academy of Future Education Details
- Time: 17:30-18:35
- Date: 16 April
- Venue: BSG21, South Campus, XJTLU
- Language: English
- Speaker: Professor Ange Fitzgerald
Abstract
The ‘future of education’ is often discussed in terms of technology, skills, or systems reform. Yet for those working and learning within education, the future is already being shaped through everyday experiences of change, uncertainty, and adaptation. This public lecture explores what the future of education actually looks like when viewed through the lived experiences of teachers, teacher educators, and learners.
Drawing on a series of research projects spanning teacher identity, professional re-entry, digital and ethical practice, and educational leadership across international contexts, the lecture argues that the future of education is less about predicting what comes next and more about understanding how people sustain purpose, belonging, and agency amid ongoing transformation. These studies reveal common patterns: increasingly non-linear careers, shifting professional identities, growing ethical demands around technology, and the central importance of relational and values-driven practice.
Rather than offering simple solutions or futuristic forecasts, this lecture invites educators, students, and families to rethink what ‘preparing for the future’ really means. It proposes that the most important work ahead lies in designing educational systems and cultures that support adaptability, ethical judgment, and human connection, not just technical competence, in an uncertain and rapidly changing world.
Speaker
Dr Ange Fitzgerald is a professor of teacher education and senior academic leader with extensive experience across higher education and school systems in Australia and internationally. Her work spans educational leadership, teacher education, and professional learning, with a strong focus on relational, ethical, and culturally responsive practice. Ange has held senior leadership roles including Executive Dean, Associate Dean and Acting Principal, and has led large-scale initiatives in curriculum reform, accreditation, and leadership development across diverse institutional contexts. Her research interests include leadership transitions, professional identity, autoethnography, and the emotional dimensions of educational work. Ange is committed to scholarship that bridges research and practice and supports more humane, reflective, and sustainable approaches to leadership in higher education. She is delighted to have joined the Academy of Future Education in January and is looking forward to learning from her context and colleagues.
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