ReimaginEd: Shaping the Future of Ontario PSE took place on Friday, November 7 in Toronto. The event brought together institutional staff, community partners, representatives from the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and other postsecondary education colleagues to think creatively about the purpose, design and goals of the system and to collaborate on how best to adapt moving forward.
Now that our 2025 conference is over, the conference planning team at HEQCO has been reflecting on what we learned and what we’ll be thinking about as we move forward. Here are a few key takeaways from our event
1. Together we are stronger
While this is a very challenging time across the postsecondary sector, there is still a strong sense of collaboration and solidarity. When attendees were asked to share one thing they’ve seen in their work that gives them hope for the future of higher education, we got answers like “There are so many people that care to make the system better” and “collaboration across the sector.” Collective effort brings strength, particularly during difficult times.
These sentiments show us the importance of events such as this one that give attendees the opportunity to hear about programs and strategies that are working in order to make them more widespread.
2. AI is sparking lots of conversation
Whether your feelings about generative AI tools are optimistic, ominous or somewhere in the middle, there were plenty of conversations to be had about it, many of which are still ongoing. From our experience so far with our research consortium on GenAI, we knew there would be a lot to talk about, but it was a great opportunity to hear a very broad range of perspectives. The questions surrounding responsibility, potential and academic integrity will certainly continue to be debated, and we look forward to being a part of those conversations.
3. Hard work is worth doing
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Pamela Palmater, gave an inspiring presentation on the work that still needs to be done to actively work at reconciliation in the higher education sector. This is certainly no easy task, but by listening, learning and taking active steps to prioritize reconciliation. Similar sentiments were expressed in some of our breakout sessions and in our closing plenary: by resisting the urge to stick with the status quo, new opportunities for growth and improvement can be discovered and realized.
Presentations from many of our speakers are now available on our conference website, so be sure to check if there was a session you were unable to attend. We are considering options for future events to make more sessions more accessible.
We were so grateful to be able to connect with so many stakeholders from across Ontario’s higher education sector and we would like to extend thanks to our promotional partner Academica Group
We are eagerly looking ahead to our research products coming in 2026. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date on HEQCO’s projects and events.
