Agenda

The agenda is included below for your information, and can also be downloaded further below.

• 9.30am – Registration and coffee
• 10.00am Welcome and introduction by Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of St Andrews, Chair of HEPI’s Trustees and President of Universities UK
• 10.10am – Opening Keynote from  Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive, Universities UK: ‘Out of Eeyore’s Gloomy Place (rather boggy and sad)‘, chaired by Nick Hillman, Director, HEPI
• 10.30am – Questions / discussion 
• 10.40am – Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Executive, UCAS: ‘The outlook for HE admissions in 2025’, chaired by Nick Hillman, Director, HEPI
• 10.55am – Questions / discussion 
• 11.05am – Before: The applicant experience
  • Speakers include:
    • Jenny Shaw, Higher Education Engagement Director, Unite Students
    • Professor Nic Beech, Member of the Curriculum and Assessment Review Panel and Vice-Chancellor, University of Salford 
    • Catherine Sezen, Director of Education Policy, Association of Colleges
    • Chaired by Josh Freeman, Policy Manager, HEPI
• 11.25am – Questions / discussion  
• 11.35am – Break / networking
• 11.55am – Video address from The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister for Skills
• 12.05pm – During: The student experience 
  • Launch of the findings from the 2025 HEPI / Advance HE Student Academic Experience Survey, from Jonathan Neves, Head of Research & Surveys, Advance HE, Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy, HEPI and Josh Freeman, Policy Manager, HEPI
  • Panel discussion on the student experience
    • Speakers include:  
      • Jonathan Neves, Head of Research & Surveys, Advance HE
      • Lewis Wilson, Education and Employability Officer, University of Sussex Students’ Union
      • Cheryl Watson, VP Education UK, TechnologyOne
      • Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Vice-Chancellor, University of Leicester
      • Chaired by Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy, HEPI

• 12.40pm – Questions / discussion 
• 1.00pm – Lunch
• 2pm – Introduction from James Gray, Chief Executive Officer, Kortext

• 2.10pm – After: The graduate experience
  • Speakers include:
    • Tessa Griffiths, CEO, Skills England
    • Professor Dame Nicola Dandridge, Professor of Higher Education Policy, University of Bristol and author of The Benefits of Hindsight
    • Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Aston University
    • Chaired by Mary Curnock Cook, HEPI Trustee
• 2.30pm – Questions / discussion  
• 2.40pm – Nick Hillman ‘In Conversation’ with Susan Lapworth, Chief Executive, Office for Students
• 3.00pm – Questions / discussion 
• 3.10pm- Final thoughts from Nick Hillman, HEPI Director
• 3.15pm – Conference closes

A downloadable version of the agenda is available below: