The second IDEATE Summit will be held in Melbourne, on the RMIT campus in the city, on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September 2026. Registrations are now open, and are free for staff from our partner organisations. Non-partners are also welcome at a low registration fee.
Subscribe to our extremely irregular newsletter to hear news of the dates and locations for the 2026 Summit as details are confirmed!
Each year, the Summit brings together leaders from universities teaching technology courses like computer science and engineering, such as:
- heads of schools or colleges;
- deans or associate deans of education; and
- diversity, equity and inclusion leaders.
Leaders from industry partners also join us at the Summit. Industry engagement helps shape the way courses — especially introductory courses — are modified to be more inclusive, and develop the skills graduates need to succeed in their professional careers.
The Summit is an opportunity to work together on:
- understanding the current state of diversity in university technology courses;
- sharing lessons learned and putting success stories into context for initiatives across universities; and
- collaborating on ways to overcome barriers to inclusive learning, or to recruiting greater diversity among students and staff.
As the program grows, these Summits form the basis for developing online resources that help Australian universities meet their commitments, and increase the pipeline of skilled, diverse technology professionals in industry.
Summit Program
The 2026 Summit will focus on how we can improve first year computer science and software engineering courses. We want students to succeed in their studies, have a great experience, and stay on track to graduate with a digital tech major.
Rather than a traditional presentation followed by Q&A, the 2026 Summit will be:
- A short keynote of around 30 minutes by Catherine Gill from CIC Northeastern
- Three workshops addressing first year classes for students new to tech courses at university; wrap-around support to build confidence and a sense of belonging; and using AI to support accessibility.
The workshops are designed to engage attendees in actively working together on solutions that achieve our shared goals.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided in the workshop space. Lunch is catered for all attendees, we will go across the road to The Oxford Scholar for this.
The first IDEATE Summit was held in Canberra, on the Australian National University campus, on Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 September 2025 in the Birch Innovation Space in Building #35. The schedule is still online, if you’d like to see what we discussed.
Reception event
A networking event will be held on Tuesday 1 September 2026 at the end of the day’s sessions, and is included with your registration.
Talk with colleagues about what has sparked your interest in the day’s sessions over canapés and drinks.
Industry agenda
A half-day industry agenda will be announced soon for Wednesday 2 September. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for the announcement!
Venue – getting there and accessibility
Workshops will be held in RMIT 12.10.004 – Building 12, Level 10, Room 4 at 402 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Bathrooms are directly outside the workshop room.
- Tram: The nearest stop is RMIT University / Swanston Street, right outside building 12. There is an accessibility elevator from street level at the tram stop to level 2 of RMIT Building 12.
- Parking: The nearest parking stations are at 58 Franklin Street ($16 per day for 8:30am til 7pm https://cbdpark.com and 150m / 2min walk) or 110 Victoria Street ($19 per day for 8:30am til 7pm https://www.carepark.com.au/find-a-care-park/rmit-building-91-110-victoria-street-carlton/ and 200m / 3 min walk). These are both privately owned car parking stations and will have some accessible carpark spaces, but they are not owned by the event hosts.
- Train: The nearest train station is State Library, about 350m / 4min walk
There is an accessibility elevator from street level on Swanston Street in front of the tram stop to level 2 of RMIT Building 12.
From there, take the elevator from level 2 to level 10.
Room 004 is to your left as you exit the elevator and looks like this:
Accommodation
The nearest hotels to RMIT Building 12 are listed below. Be sure to check with your organisation’s travel policy for preferred providers and cost limits.
Brady Hotels Central Melbourne – 300m / 3 minute walk, from $135/night.
Avani Melbourne Central Residences – 350m / 5 minute walk, from $199/night.
Mercure Melbourne Therry Street – 350m / 5 minute walk, from $104/night.
Veriu Queen Victoria Market – 500m / 7 minute walk, from $155/night.
Pullman Melbourne City Centre – 600m / 8 minute walk, from $235/night.
Mercure Welcome Hotel on Little Bourke Street – 600m / 9 minute walk, from $135/night.
Brady Hotels Homes Lane – 700m / 10 minute walk, from $159/night.
Oaks Melbourne on William Suites – 900m / 13 minute walk, from $182/night.
Citadines on Bourke – 1km / 14 minute walk, from $147/night.
Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne on Queen Street – 1km / 15 minute walk, from $171/night.
Lancemore Crossley St Melbourne – 1.1km / 16 minute walk, from $226/night.