University of London and Wonkhe reveal Festival of Higher Education programme

Over two days and across four stages, attendees will hear from policymakers, journalists, and commentators from inside and outside the UK higher education sector. There will be lively debates and engaging expert panel sessions as well as Q&As, interactive workshops, and plenty of networking opportunities. As many as 600 people are expected to visit Senate House for the return of this year’s festival, building on last year’s highly successful event.

The Festival will facilitate discussions about what a new government means for higher education for the next five years and what students really think about their time in HE. There will be numerous perspectives on how the sector innovates and adapts in a time of unprecedented financial pressure. Additionally, some of the sessions will explore how universities foster the right sort of leadership and relationships with staff.

The 2024 programme features a number of expert speakers from the University of London. 

• The festival will include a panel featuring Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Thomson that will explore how higher education research and innovation can better align with regional and national strategies to support the UK’s economic growth. 
• Professor Jo Fox, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Public Engagement, will lead a session on the critical role of humanities in shaping the future of universities in the UK. 
• Professor Philip Allmendinger, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education, will participate in a debate titled “At the Geopolitical Front Line: University Knowledge Diplomacy in Action.” 
• Alistair Jarvis, Pro Vice-Chancellor Partnerships and Governance, will chair two panel sessions and host a workshop on policy ideas for the new Labour government. The panel, “Are We All Tertiary Now? The Opportunities and Challenges of Coordinating Regional Post-18 Education Provision” will examine the principles of “tertiary” education provision and the practicalities of what is needed to make it work. 
• Alistair’s second panel: “Leadership and Governance to Steward HE through Challenging Times” will ask how the difficult decisions made by institutional leaders and governors will shape the higher education sector going forward. 
• Dr Arun Verma, Head of Equality and Inclusion, will discuss with colleagues what the compact with higher education staff should be. 
• Senate House Librarian and Director of the Library Transformation Programme Catríona Cannon will participate in a workshop on the future of libraries at higher education institutions.

These colleagues will join expert speakers from across the country for a festival unlike any other event on the higher education calendar.