AI in Education Festival 2026

Prof. Toby Walsh is an ARC Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor of AI at UNSW and CSIRO Data61. He is Chief Scientist of UNSW.AI, UNSW's new AI Institute. He is a strong advocate for limits to ensure AI is used to improve our lives, having spoken at the UN, and to heads of state, parliamentary bodies, company boards and many others on this topic. This advocacy has led to him being "banned indefinitely" from Russia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and was named on the international "Who's Who in AI" list of influencers. He has written four books on AI for a general audience, the most recent are "Faking It! Artificial Intelligence in A Human World" and “The Shortest History of AI”.

Professor Christine (Tini) Mathies is the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education (PVCE). Her portfolio provides strategic direction and services supporting educational excellence and innovation at UNSW.  Tini is an established strategic leader committed to student learning and student experience, with extensive expertise in award-winning curriculum design and innovation and has a strong understanding of teaching and learning in higher education. Tini has over 20 years of experience as a marketing academic. Her research and teaching focuses on services marketing, exploring how people and technology can create service experiences that generate value for organisations, employees and customers alike.

Professor Alison Beavis is the Director of Education Innovation and Partnership at UNSW Sydney. She leads a talented team of education designers, innovators and technologists who focus on partnerships with the UNSW community to enhance the educator and student experience. Prior to commencing in her current role, Professor Beavis held several education leadership positions, most recently as Deputy Dean Education in the Faculty of Science at UNSW where she led significant curriculum renewal and championed work-integrated learning opportunities for science students.
With a disciplinary background in analytical and forensic chemistry, Professor Beavis has established an international profile in the study of trace evidence, particularly the detection and interpretation of explosives, drugs, and gunshot residues. She has led and contributed to research projects supporting government, law enforcement agencies, and has partnered with law enforcement and forensic science laboratories to improve forensic intelligence practices.
An award-winning educator, Professor Beavis has been recognised with institutional, national and international awards for her innovative approaches to curriculum and student learning.

Dr Rachel Kasturi is a Senior Inclusive Educational Designer in the PVCE Curriculum and Educational Design team, where she leads initiatives to advance inclusive education. Drawing on a background in communication sciences and student equity, she partners with students, academics and professional teams to embed accessibility, usability and Universal Design for Learning within curriculum design and teaching practice. Her work focuses on translating inclusive principles into sustainable, system-level change that strengthens capability, clarity, and belonging across complex higher education environments.