Agenda

A copy of our full Agenda is available below.

Agenda (subject to change)

9.30am Registration and coffee  
10am Opening Keynote: The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister for Skills 

Chair: Nick Hillman OBE, Director, HEPI
10.20am Q&A
10.30am What might a populist government mean for universities?
 Speakers:  
– Luke Tryl, Executive Director, More in Common UK
– Vivienne Stern, CEO, Universities UK
– Professor Bobby Duffy, Director, The Policy Institute at King’s College London 

Chair: Nick Hillman OBE, Director, HEPI
10.50am Q&A 
11.05am What does technological change mean for students, universities and employers?
Speakers:  
– Professor Rakesh Patel, Professor of Medical Education, St Mary’s University London
– Cheryl Watson, VP Education, UK, TechnologyOne
– Anila DeHart, Advisor & Researcher, Education–Workforce Coordination

Chair: Mary Curnock Cook CBE, HEPI Trustee
11.20am Q&A 
11.35am Refreshment break 
12pm Launch of the findings from the 2026 Student Academic Experience Survey 
Speakers:
– Jonathan Neves, Head of Research & Surveys, Advance HE  
– Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Strategy, HEPI  
– Charlotte Armstrong, Policy Manager, HEPI
12.20pm Q&A 
12.35pm Panel session on the student experience Speakers:  
– Amira Campbell, President, National Union of Students
– Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews
– Dr Gosia Turner, Head of Surveys, Jisc

Chair: Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Strategy, HEPI
12.50pm Q&A 
1pm Lunch
1.50pm Introduction from James Gray, Chief Executive, Kortext 
2pm Afternoon Keynote: Geopolitics: The State of the World in 2026 (precise title tbc)
– Christina Lamb OBE, Chief Foreign Correspondent, Sunday Times

Chair: Nick Hillman OBE, Director, HEPI
2.20pm Q&A 
2.30pm Nick Hillman ‘In Conversation’ with Josh Fleming, Interim Chief Executive at the Office for Students 
2.50pm Q&A 
3pm Conference closes 

Our Agenda can also be downloaded below.

HEPI Annual Conference 2026 AgendaDownload