The earlier embedding of student-centred approaches to learning and teaching, digital innovation, co-creation and institutional capacity building were key to the transition to emergency remote teaching across the global HE sector in March 2020. Many institutions wedded to traditional teaching methods encountered barriers as they moved from campus-based provision to online learning at scale and at very short notice. In this session, Ale will reflect on how pedagogic transformation normalised before Covid-19 influenced the way institutions and their students operated during the pandemic. Drawing from his work at the University of Northampton between 2012 and 2020, he will explore what this preparedness involves, including creative and sometimes radical ways of tackling challenges. He will review recent research into student and staff engagement in blended learning settings, as well as implications and challenges for learning design, teaching practice and “emergency professional development” beyond the pandemic.