academyEX: The Global Home of Future-Focused, AI-Ready Learning

The Postgraduate Experience Designed for the AI Era

The world is reshaping by AI, automation and rapid technological change. For professionals, traditional postgraduate degrees often fall short of preparing them for these shifts. What is needed now is a learning adventure that evolves as quickly as the future of work itself.

At academyEX, New Zealand’s only private postgraduate institute dedicated to future-focused education, learners gain not only qualifications but also the tools, mindsets and global networks to thrive in uncertain times. With programs infused with AI fluency, ethical leadership and human-centered innovation, academyEX equips professionals to lead the change, not just adapt to it.

AI and the Future of Work

The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) predicts that in the next decade, many jobs will be transformed by AI, some disappearing, others evolving and entirely new roles emerging. This brings a critical question - How do you stay relevant when the knowledge of today is not enough for tomorrow?

academyEX addresses this by embedding technological fluency, systems thinking and collaborative innovation into every program. Learners do not just graduate with a degree, they graduate with future-ready experience.

AcademyEX: Learning Built for Tomorrow’s Challenges

1. Cutting-Edge, AI-Infused Programs

academyEX offers three research master’s programs designed for mid-career professionals worldwide:

• Master of Technological Futures (MTF): A research-driven master’s for professionals, including non-technical leaders, to build AI literacy, strategic thinking and applied governance. Learn to work with AI and emerging technologies, test responsible practices, and complete a workplace project with an international, cross-industry cohort.
  

• Master of Change & Organizational Resilience (MCOR): A research-informed master’s designed for professionals leading culture and change in an AI-driven world. Through focused learning and guided practice, you will develop capability in systems thinking, resilience and culturally intelligent leadership. The program concludes with a work-based project, allowing you to apply and showcase your new capabilities right away.
  

• Master of Contemporary Education (MCE): This program helps educators shape the future of learning by creating inclusive, culturally aware and digitally skilled environments. It also supports them to use AI in safe and effective ways for teaching, assessment and learner assistance. Through hands-on practice and reflection, educators build real skills and gain the confidence to lead positive change in education. 

Each program blends theory with practice, enabling learners to experiment, collaborate and apply new knowledge directly into their workplaces.

“Studying here wasn’t just about upskilling- it was about joining a global network of innovators who challenge and support each other.” – International MTF Student

2. The Play Lab

Every master’s student gains access to The Play Lab, a creative space to experiment with AI tools, robotics and emerging technologies. Here, learners design and test real-world solutions, bridging the gap between learning and doing.

Frances Valintine, Founder of academyEX, explains:

“The Play Lab isn’t just about technology- it’s about cultivating curiosity and fearless experimentation.”

3. Learning in Action – Student Experiences

Real student journeys highlight how academyEX’s applied learning model creates impact:

• Fernando (Philippines, MCE) has explored innovative ways of blending educational apps with Māori culture to enrich his teaching practice. By combining these digital tools with traditional methods, he has developed approaches that foster both engagement and cultural understanding. When he begins his teaching journey in New Zealand, he intends to implement these strategies in the classroom to create meaningful learning experiences for his students.

  
  

• Csaba (Slovakia, MTF) valued the program’s balance of ethics, applied research and real-world projects. For his thesis, he focused on solving a practical challenge in the tech sector, with constant tutor feedback keeping it industry-relevant.
  

• Shivaji (India, MCOR) used his coursework as a testbed for developing sustainability metrics in the fashion industry. Instead of theory alone, his assignments became tools he could apply directly to real-world projects.

Each story shows how learners use academyEX not only to study but also to prototype their future careers in real time.

A Philosophy of Applied, Collaborative Learning

Dr. Hayley Sparks, Director of Academic Quality, describes what sets academyEX apart:

“Postgraduate study can sometimes feel isolating, but our learners move together as a cohort. They learn from each other’s diverse experiences—whether they are CEOs, educators, technologists or designers—and create outputs that make a difference to their industries and communities.”

This is more than research for research’s sake. Projects are applied, collaborative and impactful. For instance, a Sri Lankan student designed a sustainable housing strategy for returning expatriates, a solution now usable by property developers, not just a thesis gathering dust.

A Global, Inclusive Community

academyEX is based in New Zealand and guided by Te Ara Kōtihi (translated as ‘the path to success’), our learner-centered teaching and learning strategy. It keeps students and their goals at the center through inclusive practice, flexible study, recognition of equivalent experience, and project-based assessment. That’s why students join this international community to grow knowledge and achievement together.

Fernando, Shivaji and Csaba highlighted how diversity enriched their learning. Discussions with peers from different professional and cultural backgrounds made the experience broader and more meaningful, while also strengthening teamwork, communication and leadership skills.

Pathways and Impact

With NZQA-accredited programs and Category 1 quality status, academyEX graduates earn qualifications that are globally respected. More importantly, they leave with:

• Practical outputs aligned to industry needs

• Networks of professionals across multiple sectors

• Confidence to lead transformation in their fields

Graduates have gone on to roles such as:

• Digital Transformation Lead

• Innovation Architect

• Organizational Resilience Consultant

• EdTech Strategist

• Change Leader in global teams

Learning That Feels Like Progress

Postgraduate study at academyEX is designed to feel like progress, not a pause:

• Facilitated learning by experienced educators and industry professionals

• Trusted qualifications through NZQA accreditation

• Future-ready curriculum aligned with AI, ethics and human-centered design

• Flexible delivery campus-based, making study accessible worldwide

As Frances Valintine notes:

“You can’t build the future with yesterday’s skills. That’s why our learners are not just students—they’re active creators of change.”

Your Future Starts Here

Whether you want to harness AI, drive organizational change or redefine education, academyEX provides the tools, community and credibility to make it happen.

Download the program guide or book a 15-minute discovery call today.

At academyEX, it starts with one question: What do you want your impact to be?