My eQuals Connect 2025: Shaping the Future of Digital Credentials and Lifelong Learning
My eQuals Connect 2025 brought together higher education leaders, policymakers, students, and technology partners to chart the future of digital credentials across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Throughout the day, participants explored the evolving landscape of skills recognition, lifelong learning, and sector-wide collaboration.
From inspiring keynotes to thought-provoking panels, the event highlighted the shared commitment to building a more connected, equitable, and future-ready education ecosystem.
Skills, equity, and the future of work
Chris Whelan, Chief Executive of Universities New Zealand, set the tone with his Welcome Remarks, underscoring the pressures facing universities: qualification creep, the demand for faster completions, and industry’s growing expectations. Chris framed credit recognition and lifelong learning not just as sector priorities but as national imperatives.
Chris Whelan, Chief Executive of Universities New Zealand
Martin Bean’s keynote reinforced this urgency. Calling himself a “credentials nerd,” Martin warned of a widening gap between the skills society needs and the graduates universities are producing. With generative AI reshaping work at warp speed, he argued that skills-based hiring is now the default, and that institutions must adapt or risk irrelevance.
His call to action: lean into lifelong learning, invest in micro-credentials, and double down on the human capabilities—communication, collaboration, adaptability—that technology cannot easily replicate.
Martin Bean, CBE
A global lens: digital credentials in policy and practice
Dr. Wesley Teter, from UNESCO, situated My eQuals within a broader global context. He emphasised that digital credentials are not just administrative tools but instruments of public good - central to equity, mobility, and sustainable development goals.
He highlighted both opportunities and risks: the rise of academic fraud (a $22 billion global industry), the pressing need for fair recognition across borders, and the power of data-driven governance to guide lifelong learning.
Dr. Teter challenged the audience to connect local innovations with international frameworks such as the Tokyo Convention, urging the sector to lead on global standards for trust and transparency in credentials.
Dr. Wesley Teter, UNESCO
Students at the centre
One of the most engaging moments was the Student Panel, where learners spoke candidly about their experiences with My eQuals and their hopes for the future of digital credentials. This particular panel was anchored on the University of Waikato’s own experience with My eQuals, presented by Tricia Finn, Director, Student Systems & Administration.
Representing the Waikato Student Union, Robyn Pascoe, Fuad Syed and Yasir Saifudeen called for:
Clarity and simplicity in presenting skills and experiences.
Inclusion of work-integrated learning, volunteering, and leadership roles in credential platforms.
Better awareness campaigns to help students understand My eQuals’ full potential while they are still enrolled.
As they so aptly put it, “Employers trust other employers. If our placements and experiences were verified in My eQuals, that would make a real difference.” Their comments reminded all participants that while institutions and governments debate systems, the ultimate beneficiaries are learners navigating the education and employment markets.
Students Panel
Initiatives for the future of digital credentials
Beyond the plenary, four workshops brought to life the many ideas, projects and initiatives shaping the future of digital credentials.
In the morning, Sam Long, representing NZQA as a Senior Business Analyst for the Pacific Qualifications Recognition project, a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen trust, transparency, and mobility across Pacific education systems.
Funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and managed jointly by NZQA and SPC, the project brings together ministries and qualifications authorities from across the region. Its central aim is to ensure that qualifications act as a true “passport” for skills, enabling graduates to carry their learning across borders for both employment and further education. By aligning national frameworks with the Pacific Qualifications Framework (PQF), the initiative lays the foundation for consistent recognition, supported by robust quality assurance practices.
Simultaneously, the Present and Future of My eQuals panel kicked off, with Daniel Hibbert, VP APAC and Takis Diakoumis, Senior Director of Engineering at Instructure, being joined by Cassy Alum (Associate Director Student Administration at The University of Western Australia) and Dawn Miller-McTaggart (Graduations Coordinator at University of Canterbury).
Cassy and Dawn drew on their institution's usage of My eQuals, what they recognise, how they meet student recognition requests and how students engage with the My eQuals platform. Both provided insights on the operational benefits and improvements they've seen, including the recent capability for Admissions at UWA to tap into other international nodes (such as CSSD (China)). Based on the discussion, Takis Diakoumis highlighted key focus areas for the technology and product roadmap. The roadmap prioritises a shift from static attestations to a more data-driven ecosystem with dynamic credentials. This evolution will address the changing verification needs of employers and government agencies while continuing to support all formats, from traditional print to PDFs and new, dynamic attestations.
In the afternoon, Anthony Manahan, Director for My eQuals at HES, led a panel on the ANZ Credit Management Initiative. Drawing on a successful New Zealand proof-of-concept, speakers demonstrated how a shared, AI-enabled credit system could transform student mobility, streamline processes, and reduce costs. The vision is ambitious: a sector-wide hub for verified academic data, enabling fairer, faster, and more transparent credit recognition.
Finally, at the Skills Recognition and Assessment workshop, the panel, led by Simone Ravaioli, explored the principle of recognition - a thread that runs through digital credentials, global conventions, and workplace skills.
The session was unanimous in agreeing that skills transparency is critical. Employers and industries must be able to see what learners can actually do, not just the qualifications they hold. In that context, it was also discussed why evidence matters so much; digital badges and micro-credentials are only powerful if they carry evidence of real achievement (which one panellist called the “trust marker”). One final takeaway: recognition must include all learning, formal, informal, and non-formal. From sports fields to volunteering, from labs to gaming, valuable skills emerge everywhere. Making the “invisible manifest” is one of digital credentials’ greatest opportunities.
Closing reflections: momentum and collaboration
In the closing session, Daniel Hibbert and Andrew Trnacek, CEO of HES ,emphasised the community nature of My eQuals and the importance of keeping momentum. They highlighted demographic pressures, government interest in skills recognition, and the need to expand globally - particularly into the Pacific.
Daniel Hibbert and Andrew Trnacek, CEO of HES
Their message was clear: the foundation has been laid, but the next phase requires deep collaboration across institutions, sectors, and borders. My eQuals must continue to evolve from a platform into a system that truly connects teaching, learning, and credentialing.
Looking Ahead
My eQuals Connect 2025 was more than a conference; it was a call to action. The event showcased both the progress made and the work ahead - on digital transformation, policy alignment, and student-centred design.
The takeaways are powerful:
Skills matter as much as qualifications, and digital credentials must reflect both.
Students want more holistic recognition of their experiences.
Collaboration across institutions, governments, and international bodies is essential for building a trusted, future-ready ecosystem.
As Martin Bean reminded attendees, “Today is the slowest day of the rest of your working life.” The pace of change is relentless, but with continued leadership and shared vision, My eQuals is well-positioned to shape the future of lifelong learning.
Get in touch
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