Dr. Margaret Korosec’s Keynote Talk

Not what we were, not yet what we’ll be: Liminal Leadership for Digital Transformation in Higher Education

Higher education is no longer where it was—but it is not yet what it will become. As institutions scale online and digital learning, experiment with new credential models, and respond to accelerating demands for skills-focused, flexible education, they are entering a liminal space: an in-between state defined by uncertainty, experimentation, and possibility.

This opening keynote reframes digital transformation not as a technical or strategic challenge, but as a deeply human journey of transition. It explores the tensions facing established institutions as they work at the intersection of campus and online, innovation and regulation, global reach and local identity—and the implications this has for academic practice, student expectations, and institutional purpose.

Introducing the idea of liminal leadership, the session offers a fresh lens for leading through ambiguity—one that prioritises sensemaking over certainty, recognises identity shifts alongside structural change, and creates the conditions in which innovative forms of educational practice can emerge. Rather than rushing towards premature resolution, liminal leadership asks how leaders can intentionally hold and steward the space of transition. 

Participants will be encouraged to reflect on how they lead not just change itself, but the lived experience of change - for staff, students, and their institutions - and what it might mean to lead with care, clarity and courage in the space between. 

About Dr. Margaret Korosec

Dr. Margaret Korosec is an innovative leader in higher education known for bringing creativity, a human-centered approach, and a systems perspective to her work in scaling online, open and flexible education.

Margaret’s work at the University of Leeds has catalyzed institutional progress and expanded access for diverse learners.  She leads the strategic investment in and expansion of the University’s online degree and flexible learning portfolio. Her systems-thinking approach and measurable impact have shaped institutional progress in digital education more broadly, culminating in her current appointment as Director of Digital Education and Learning Innovation. In this expanded role – following her tenure as Dean of Online and Digital Education – Margaret is responsible for aligning key strategic enablers and collaborative efforts across the University to integrate online, flexible, and campus-based digital education more effectively and cohesively.

Prior to her current role, Margaret played a key role in expanding online degree provision at both the University of Derby Online Learning in the UK and Western Governors University (WGU) in the USA. Her experience across international institutional models has shaped a strong foundation of how digital education can broaden access and improve student success. Witnessing the transformative power of accessible, high-quality learning on individuals and communities underpins her dedication to advancing online, professional and flexible learning for a global student population.

As a Fellow of the Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE), she is part of a scholarly network exploring institutional culture and academic challenges in online and flexible education. 

Margaret earned her M.A. in Education from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the U.S. and her Ph.D. in Technology-Enhanced Learning from the University of Hull in the UK. 

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