Skip to content
The UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

Agenda

Please note that the below is the up-to-date agenda (subject to change). You may download the agenda at the bottom of the page.

  • 9.30am – Registration and coffee
  • 10.00am – Welcome and introduction
  • 10.10am – Opening Keynote – General Election 2024: The State of the Nation
    • Professor Rob Ford, Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester and award-winning author of titles such as Brexitland and The British General Election of 2019
  • 10.30am – Questions / discussion
  • 10.40am – Introduction from Leo Hanna, Executive Vice President – UK, TechnologyOne 
  • 10.50am – Launch of the findings from the 2024 HEPI / Advance HE Student Academic Experience Survey, with introduction from Alison Johns, Chief Executive, Advance HE. Presented by:
    • Jonathan Neves, Head of Business Intelligence and Surveys, Advance HE
    • Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy, HEPI and
    • Josh Freeman, Policy Manager, HEPI  
  • 11.10am – Questions / discussion
  • 11.20am – Break / networking 
  • 11.50am – Panel session responding to the Student Academic Experience Survey. Chaired by Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy, HEPI. Panel includes:
    • Professor Harriet Dunbar-Morris, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic, The University of Buckingham  
    • Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor, Leeds Trinity University  
    • Amira Campbell, President, University of Birmingham Guild of Students and incoming NUS President  
    • Jess Lister, Associate Director, Public First  
    • Hitanshi Badani, Incoming Director of Education, Students’ Association, University of St Andrews  
  • 12.20pm – Questions / discussion
  • 12.30pm – Lunch
  • 1.30pm – Introduction from James Gray, Chief Executive Officer, Kortext and Daniel Webb, ISV Partnerships Lead, Microsoft
  • 1.40pm – Afternoon Keynote, Chaired by Mary Curnock Cook, Chair of the Dyson Institute and Pearson Education Ltd, Trustee of HEPI 
    • Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies
  • 2.00pm – Questions / discussion
  • 2.10pm – Student Hustings: How are students reacting to the general election? With student representatives from the main UK political parties. Chaired by Nick Hillman, HEPI Director
    • Lewis Warner, National Vice-Chair, Labour Students
    • Janey Little, Chair, Young Liberals
    • Matthew Brooker, President, Durham Union Society, representing the Conservative voice
    • Jane Baston, Co-Chair, Young Greens
  • 2.30pm – Questions / discussion
  • 2.40pm- Final thoughts from Nick Hillman, HEPI Director
  • 2.45pm – Conference closes