2026 HEPI Annual Conference

Date:: 11 June 2026
Time:: 9.30am – 3pm
Location:: One Great George Street, London
Format:: In-person
Admission:: Open-to-all

Overview

‘Student life in an age of populism, technological change and geopolitical tension’

On Thursday 11 June 2026, HEPI will host its Annual Conference at One Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA, kindly supported by TechnologyOne and Kortext.

This year’s Conference will focus on how a shift toward a more populist government might affect the higher education sector, set against the wider challenges of intergenerational inequity, technological change, and intensifying geopolitical tensions.

Speakers

The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister for Skills
Vivienne Stern MBE
Chief Executive, Universities UK
Christina Lamb OBE
Chief Foreign Correspondent, Sunday Times
Professor Bobby Duffy
Director of the Policy Institute, King’s College London
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone
Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews
Josh Fleming
Interim Chief Executive, OfS
Dr Gosia Turner
Head of Surveys, Jisc
Sophie Stowers
Research Manager, More in Common
Anila DeHart
Advisor & Researcher, Education–Workforce Coordination
Alex Stanley
Vice President, National Union of Students
Cheryl Watson
Vice President of Education, UK, TechnologyOne
James Gray
Chief Executive Officer, Kortext
Professor Rakesh Patel
Professor of Medical Education, St Mary’s University London
Jonathan Neves
Head of Research & Surveys, Advance HE
Rose Stephenson
Director of Policy and Strategy, HEPI 
Charlotte Armstrong
Policy Manager, HEPI