The University of New England and a startup AI developer have joined forces to provide every student with their own team of secure AI assistants, housed within an innovative workspace that offers a choice of models and tools.
In a sector-leading move, all students at UNE will be given free access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools via a safe and protected environment, preparing them for an AI-driven workplace.
This initiative will be made possible through UNE’s pioneering partnership with Simtheory, an Australia-based startup developer of an AI workspace that offers access to multiple AI models and tools in a single, secure interface.
Building on the platform’s broad adoption by staff, UNE is now extending free access to all students, ensuring equitable access to this pivotal technology.
About Madgwick Student
UNE has worked with Simtheory to develop its custom AI platform. This platform has been branded “Madgwick” in honour of the university’s pioneering first vice-chancellor.
The platform moves far beyond a simple chat interface locked to a single model provider like ChatGPT or Copilot. It provides an integrated AI workspace where students can build their own team of AI assistants tailored to their specific study habits. These assistants bring search, planning, coding, and research capabilities into a single unified environment.
UNE Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Moran said the move toward equipping staff, and now students, with secure AI has been a logical next step for the University.
“UNE was on the frontier of distance education 70 years ago, when the idea that students could gain a good education without being on a university campus was frowned upon. We’re honouring that independent, unconventional spirit as we actively prepare ourselves for the age of AI,” he said.
“Madgwick Student is about putting the latest AI tools in the hands of students so that they can – if they choose – learn to use this technology to support their aspirations.
“We understand that AI is already being used by many, if not most of our students, to support their studies, but there are compromises that come with using AI as a direct client of a commercial provider.
“Access to the best models comes at a cost that not all our students can afford, and anyone signed up directly to an AI provider can expect that their data will be used for model training, and probably for other commercial purposes,” said Professor Moran.
UNE students using Madgwick will use AI in an environment that offers a number of unique advantages:
- Security – Madgwick provides a secure AI environment that will not train on student data, and provides various guardrails to protect users against unwanted results
- Safety – Madgwick Student offers additional safety features to detect and flag harmful content
- Equity – Madgwick offers equal access to this transformative technology
- Job readiness – With AI permeating the workforce, it will very soon be considered essential for universities to provide AI for their students.
Roll-out of Madgwick Student will be staged, with students initially given access to LLMs, image-generation tools, and a range of MCP connectors. Madgwick’s underlying architecture is model-agnostic, so other models will be made available to students in future.
“The integrity of courses and our student learning is not diminished by the availability of Madgwick Student. Since the first public release of Large Language Models, UNE has undertaken substantial work to ensure that student learning environments reflect technological change, and that academic integrity is maintained,” said Professor Moran.
“Artificial intelligence is a learning tool, not a replacement for critical thinking, and all our academic integrity policies still apply.”
Madgwick Student will be rolled out progressively from 1 November.
About the UNE-Simtheory partnership
UNE is the first enterprise partner of Newcastle developer Simtheory.
Simtheory has focused its expertise on building a platform that allows interchangeable access to leading AI models in a fully secure environment. Data does not leave Australian jurisdiction and is encrypted.
Simtheory AI co-founder, Michael Sharkey, said the partnership recognises that AI is a disruptive force in education.
“UNE’s history is defined by innovation – they pioneered remote learning in Australia and have always pushed the boundaries of educational delivery,” Mr Sharkey said.
“It is now demonstrating remarkable foresight by leading the charge into what will be a transformative era for education, and we’re honoured to be their partner in this work.”
Associate Professor Aaron Driver, Academic Director of LabNext70, UNE’s dedicated AI innovation lab, said UNE is excited to deliver the Madgwick platform to students after the successful uptake by staff.
“We chose to partner with Simtheory because its entrepreneurial outlook offered us the kind of energy and flexibility we are seeking in an AI partner,” said Associate Professor Driver.
“The Simtheory team delivered what universities typically dream of but rarely get: a cutting-edge AI platform that actually understands academic needs. They navigated our data privacy requirements and treated our success as their personal mission. In an industry crawling with vendors, Simtheory stands out as a true partner that delivers on its promises.
“By deploying Simtheory, UNE is ensuring equitable access to AI capabilities, establishing ourselves as true pioneers in AI-integrated learning. This empowers staff with enhanced productivity, elevates research capabilities, and provides students with customised learning approaches.”
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