Programme

We are delighted to be hosting a line-up of high profile speakers and personalities from within and beyond the sector.
 

Download virtual handbookDelegates will have more than 80 working sessions, three parallel keynote session to choose from, and will hear the views from four debate panel members in the live debate.

• Our virtual handbook (with full session details) is available here.
• Find out more about what to do while you are in Manchester.

Opening plenary

Kate Adie is a best-selling author and broadcaster, and achieved fame through her work as the BBC’s Chief News Correspondent, a role she was promoted to following her coverage of the killing in Tiananmen Square.

Kate was one of the first British women sending despatches from danger zones around the world. She covered the Gulf War, and events in former Yugoslavia, Armenia, Albania, Rwanda and China as well as disasters in and around the United Kingdom.

Read more about Kate Adie.

Plenary (Wednesday 4 April)

Redefining the psychological contract in higher education: reviewing the deal between students, staff, institutions, communities and other stakeholders

Ewart Wooldridge, CBE, Chief Executive, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education

Higher Education institutions are in the midst of what is potentially a perfect storm - involving a mix of funding and governance challenges, new sources of competition and a potential redefining of the international landscape. Rather than a threat, these combined challenges may create a unique opportunity for transformation. Whilst really effective leadership will be a critical factor, even more important may be a rigorous reassessment of key relationships. How do we redefine that deal with these key stakeholders whilst still holding together the essence of perhaps the best HE system in the world? What are the 10 key things that leaders need to do?

Closing Plenary

Bill Rammell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Plymouth University

Bill Rammell is a French graduate from Cardiff University. He built a successful career in public sector management and between 1987 and 1997 was Head of Youth Services with Basildon Council, General Manager of Kings College London Students' Union, and General Manager of the University of London Union. Bill was elected as the Member of Parliament for Harlow in 1997, and spent 8 years serving in Government as Minister of State at the Foreign Office, where he was responsible for relations with North and South East Asia and the Middle East, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, and Minister of State for Further and Higher Education. In the latter role Bill was responsible for implementing the current fees regime, and leading the Prime Minister’s Initiative for the globalisation of higher education. Bill was appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Plymouth University in February 2011, responsible for the student experience and internationalisation.

Working sessions

Full session details can be found in our virtual handbook.

Keynote presentations (Tuesday 3 April)

1. Portfolio management: efficiency, quality, utility
   Professor Malcolm Gillies, Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University
   In this session Malcolm will discuss principles for revising institutional course portfolios from the perspectives of students, staff, administrators, funders, and employers and drawing some lessons, including from findings of the recent Market Assurance in New Course Development project.
    
    
2. Equality in higher education: why we are not there yet?
   David Ruebain, Chief Executive,The Equality Challenge Unit
   This session looks at some of the equality and diversity challenges in the current financial climate; the impact of the recent government white paper and how this area may develop in the future.
   
   
   
   
3. Higher education reforms: future implications
   Bahram Bekhradnia, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute
   In this session Bahram Bekhradnia will discuss the implications of the government's higher education reforms, the future size, shape and funding of the sector, drawing on HEPI's recent analysis. 
   
   
   
   
4. Making the most of IT: harnessing the strategic potential of your ICT Infrastructure
   Sarah Porter, Head of Innovation, JISC
   At present, education is at something of a turning point in its relationship with technology and in particular with ICT. This session will provide some examples of ways that ICT can help us to provide a better experience, and present some of the key challenges that we face in trying to turn the vision into reality.
   
   

Debate (Tuesday 3 April)

Tuesday's debate is chaired by Will Spinks, the Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Manchester. In this capacity he is both Head of the Professional Support Services for the University and Secretary to the Board of Governors.

Prior to joining Manchester, Will was the first Chief Operating Officer of Loughborough University. In this role he was responsible for all of the service functions and the commercial activities of the University. In addition, he chaired and served on a number of wholly-owned subsidiary companies and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. He is also a member of the Students' Union Evaluation Initiative panel.

Participants in our debate panel include:

1. Heather Fry
2. Anthony McClaran
3. Pam Tatlow 
4. Rachel Wenstone