I recently had the privilege of joining Joanne Ligouris, Teresa Tjia and Melissa Loble on a panel hosted by the Groningen Declaration Network (GDN), exploring “Rewriting the Rules of Leadership in the New AI World.” I am very grateful to Joanne Duklas from GDN for the opportunity to be part of this conversation.

The perspectives shared by Joanne from the University of Melbourne and Teresa from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre added considerable depth to the conversation, and it was a privilege to share the panel with two such accomplished and inspiring leaders.

They shared practical approaches their organisations are taking to create more inclusive environments for students, including how social media is increasingly being used to communicate, connect and support students.

This highlighted an important point: inclusion is not only about policies and processes. It is also about how people access information, where they seek support and whether they feel that the system understands their circumstances.

My perspective was shaped by another part of the education and mobility journey — the experience of migrants navigating skills recognition.

Connecting the pieces of the journey

The journey from education to employment can involve many different organisations, particularly for someone moving between countries. Students and migrants may interact with education providers, employers, professional associations, government agencies and skills assessment bodies. Each plays a distinct role, but from the individual’s perspective, these can feel like parts of one complex system.

Having been an international student and skilled migrant myself, I have experienced some of this journey personally. Today, through my role at VETASSESS, I am also involved in leading teams that contribute to shaping the skills recognition system. Seeing the journey from both perspectives has reinforced the importance of collaboration: each organisation holds a piece of the puzzle, but the individual experiences the whole picture.

This is particularly important for international mobility. A migrant may have spent years building qualifications and professional experience, and moving to a new country, they need to have those skills recognised. Making the journey clearer, more transparent and more connected is therefore an important part of creating an inclusive system.

VETASSESS, a signatory and patron of the GDN network, plays a significant role in this ecosystem. Through skills assessments across hundreds of professional and trade occupations, its work helps translate qualifications and experience gained in different countries into trusted outcomes that support migration and participation in the Australian workforce. Maintaining both a strong applicant experience and the integrity of assessment is central to that role.

Skills recognition in an AI environment

The discussion about AI added another important dimension. AI presents genuine opportunities for skills recognition, from improving efficiency and accessibility to helping organisations communicate information more effectively. But it also introduces new integrity challenges, particularly as sophisticated technology makes it easier to create convincing but inaccurate information and documentation.

We therefore need to work on both sides of the equation.

For applicants, the process should feel as straightforward, transparent and inclusive as possible. At the same time, governments, employers and industry need confidence that assessment outcomes are robust, credible and based on genuine qualifications and skills.

This balance between accessibility and integrity is increasingly important. VETASSESS’s ongoing investment in assessment quality, integrity measures and evolving assessment practices is an important contribution to maintaining confidence in the skills recognition system as technology changes.

Leadership and inclusion

There was also a personal dimension to the conversation that I valued, sharing experiences as women leaders.

Joanne and Teresa brought perspectives shaped by considerable leadership experience, and I appreciated the generosity with which they shared their insights and personal experiences. We reflected on the strengths women bring to leadership and the important role women can play in creating supportive and inclusive environments.

There is, of course, no single model of successful leadership. Strength can be expressed through resilience, adaptability, empathy, courage, advocacy and the willingness to support others and continue learning. What matters is creating an environment where different experiences and perspectives can contribute.

A reflection to take forward

The discussion reinforced for me that inclusion is ultimately a collective responsibility. People may experience the education, skills recognition and migration system as one journey, even though it is delivered by many different organisations.

Our challenge is to ensure that the pieces connect.

As AI continues to reshape education, assessment and the world of work, collaboration across the ecosystem will become even more important. We need systems that are accessible to the people who rely on them, while retaining the integrity and trust on which governments, industry, employers and individuals depend.

For me, that is an important part of rewriting the rules of leadership –  not simply adapting to technological change, but working collectively to ensure that the systems we build remain inclusive, trusted and centred on the people they are designed to serve.