PRESS RELEASE
5 October 2026
The Solomon Islands National University (SINU), in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), convened the SINU–UTS Academic Symposium 2026 on Tuesday 29 September at the Faculty of Education and Humanities (FEH), Panatina Campus.
Held under the theme, “Transforming Higher Education: Teaching and Learning for Student Success,” the one-day symposium brought together academic and professional staff, students, partners and education stakeholders to examine approaches to improving teaching, learning, assessment and the overall student experience at SINU.
The symposium was officially opened by the Supervising Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), Ms Linda Wate, with remarks also delivered by Dr Tristan Armstrong, Counsellor at the Australian High Commission. SINU Vice-Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau delivered the keynote address, “Transforming Higher Education: Teaching and Learning for Student Success.”
In her opening remarks, Ms Wate described the symposium theme as timely and fundamental to higher education in Solomon Islands. She acknowledged the leadership of SINU and UTS, the organising committee and academic staff participating in the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning (GCHETL) programme.
She emphasised that student success should extend beyond academic achievement to developing graduates with the knowledge, skills, values, confidence and capabilities to contribute meaningfully to society.
“For Solomon Islands, therefore, student success must ultimately connect human flourishing with national development. This gives greater meaning to the work we do as educators,” Ms Wate said.
She also encouraged educators to consider whether teaching approaches are engaging students, whether assessments support learning and improvement, whether learning environments are inclusive, and whether curricula are responsive to the changing needs of employers, communities and the country.
In his keynote address, Professor Aqorau emphasised that transforming higher education is not simply about introducing new technology or changing classroom methods, but about preparing graduates who can contribute meaningfully to Solomon Islands society.
He highlighted the importance of education in shaping a society that values respect, responsibility, knowledge, ethical conduct, cultural identity and the ability to respond to national and global challenges.
“Student success” must therefore extend beyond passing courses and obtaining qualifications. Professor Aqorau noted that it should also include meaningful learning, timely progression and completion, readiness for work, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, adaptability, ethical conduct, community contribution and lifelong learning.
The Vice-Chancellor further outlined the need for transformation across curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, technology, lecturer practice and the overall student learning experience.
He emphasised that SINU programmes should connect disciplinary knowledge with practical capability, critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical judgement, communication, collaboration, cultural understanding, digital literacy and lifelong learning. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that Indigenous knowledge, local languages and Pacific ways of knowing are meaningfully integrated into higher education.
The symposium programme featured plenary and concurrent sessions covering a wide range of areas, including teaching and learning, assessment, educational technology and digital transformation, student agency and inclusion, Indigenous knowledge, graduate employability, quality assurance and the future of higher education.
Academic staff from SINU presented research and practice-based work examining issues such as resilient teaching, nursing education, assessment feedback, authentic assessment in the AI era, lecturer digital competence, inclusive assessment, student co-design, Indigenous knowledge and graduate employability.
The symposium also provided an opportunity for staff participating in the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning (GCHETL) to share their research and reflections on how professional learning is influencing teaching practice and higher education at SINU.
Professor Aqorau noted that the work of the GCHETL cohorts demonstrates SINU’s growing capacity to examine its own teaching practices and develop locally grounded solutions to challenges affecting student learning.
He also highlighted the importance of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, which has been approved by Council, as an institutional platform to support curriculum and assessment development, inclusive and digitally enabled teaching, staff and student capability, teaching innovation and the sharing of effective practice across the University.
The Vice-Chancellor identified six commitments for advancing transformation at SINU: beginning with the society and graduate the University wants to develop; connecting learning with real-life challenges; making teaching excellence visible and supported; listening systematically to students and stakeholders; embedding inclusion and respect into educational design; and moving successful initiatives from individual projects into enduring institutional systems.
He said transformation would require the combined efforts of academic and professional staff, students, partners, communities and the wider education system.
“Transformation will not arrive as a single project, policy or technology. It will be built through deliberate choices,” Professor Aqorau said.
The symposium demonstrated SINU’s commitment to strengthening teaching and learning through professional development, research, collaboration and locally relevant approaches to higher education.
Professor Aqorau concluded by reaffirming the University’s responsibility to contribute to the future of Solomon Islands through quality education and graduate development.
“If we remain clear about the society we want… and if our teaching brings them to life, then SINU will do more than prepare graduates for the future. We will help prepare Solomon Islands for its future.”
The SINU–UTS Academic Symposium 2026 forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen higher education teaching and learning at SINU and support the University’s strategic direction for 2026–2030.
ENDS//