HEPI fringe events at the 2026 Labour Party Conference

Date:: 28 September 2026
Time:: 9.30am to 12pm
Location:: Albert Johnston Theatre, Novotel Liverpool Centre, 40 Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 4LN
Organiser(s):: HEPI
Format:: In-person
Admission:: Open-to-all

Overview

Join HEPI on Monday 28 September 2026 at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. This year, HEPI is hosting two fringe events and you are cordially invited to attend any of these, or all of them.

Please register your expression of interest if you wish to attend our fringe events (see link below).

The seminars will take place outside of the secure zone, so no conference pass is necessary.

Event 1

9.30am-10.30am – Higher Education Question Time, kindly supported by Duolingo, University of Leicester, Liverpool Hope University and Royal Holloway, University of London.

Speakers

The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education
Professor Sir Nishan Canagarajah
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Leicester
Professor Penny Haughan
Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Liverpool Hope University
Professor Julie Sanders
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Royal Holloway, University of London
Michael Lynas (Opening remarks)
UK and Europe Director, Duolingo
Rose Stephenson (Chair)
Director of Policy and Strategy, HEPI

Partners

Event 2

11am-12pm – ‘Soft power in a hardening world: is the UK making the most of its global assets?‘, kindly supported by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, The University of Manchester and University of the Arts London.

Speakers

Professor Duncan Ivison
President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester
Professor Karen Stanton
Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London
Francesca Woodward
Global Managing Director for English, Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Dr. Naimatullah Zafary (Opening remarks)
Former Afghan Chevening Scholar, University of Sussex
Nick Hillman OBE (Chair)
Chief Executive, HEPI