Speakers:
Jamie Arrowsmith
Director, Universities UK International
Jamie was appointed Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) in November 2022. Prior to taking on this role, Jamie led Universities UK’s research and innovation policy programme (2014-2017) before becoming Assistant Director for Policy Engagement at UUKi (2017-2022). Before joining Universities UK in 2010, Jamie was a research associate and ESRC research fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Education and Social Research Institute.
Jonathan Ashworth
Chief Executive, Labour Together
The Rt Hon Jonathan Ashworth is Chief Executive of the Labour supporting think tank, Labour Together. He was the MP for Leicester South for 13 years and served in the shadow cabinet as shadow secretaries of state for Health, Work & Pensions and shadow Paymaster General. He is a Policy Fellow at Cambridge University’s Centre for Science and Policy. He was a special advisor to the last Labour government working to Gordon Brown in the Treasury and No 10 Downing Street.
Georgina Ayre
Deputy Director for Global Research and Innovation, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Rt Hon Greg Clark
Former Secretary of State and Executive Chair, Warwick Innovation District, The University of Warwick Innovation District
The Rt Hon Greg Clark is Executive Chair of the University of Warwick’s Innovation District (and Chair of WMG - the Warwick Manufacturing Group).
Fran Davies
Head of Global Science, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Professor Tim Dunne
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Surrey
In this capacity he reports to the Chair of Council; leads the University’s Executive Board; is expected to deliver on budget targets and institutional KPIs; helps to create an open, diverse and inclusive environment where staff and students are secure and can thrive; engages actively with external stakeholder groups. Tim’s substantive role continues to be Provost & Senior Vice-President – a role he took up in 2022. Prior to his move to Surrey, Tim had several leadership roles at The University of Queensland. He is recognised for his research on human rights protection and foreign policy-making in a changing world order. He has written and co-edited sixteen books, including Terror in our Time (2012), The Globalization of International Society (2017), and The Rise of the International (2024). An elected Fellow of the Academic of Social Sciences, Australia and Emeritus Professor at The University of Queensland.
Andrea Farquhar
Chief Executive, Internal and External Engagement (recently retired), McMaster University
Chair of the Times Higher Education (THE) World 100 Reputation Network, Andrea is an international higher education leader in reputation development, issues management and public affairs. She has spent almost three decades providing strategic advice, planning, and program delivery that drives government funding and policy, engages stakeholders and media, and strengthens internal communications and change management.
Alex Favier
Founder and Director/ Global Campaign Director, Favier Ltd/ Invest in UK University R&D - Midlands Campaign
Charlie Jeffery
Vice-Chancellor and President, University of York
Professor Charlie Jeffery became Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of York in September 2019. He joined us from the University of Edinburgh where he had been Senior Vice-Principal since 2014. He was a Member of Council of the Economic and Social Research Council from 2006-12 and Chair of the Political Studies Association of the UK from 2009-12. He has a deep-rooted interest in how university research and education can serve the general benefit of society, or public good. In Edinburgh and now in York he has worked to bring together the University with local authorities, businesses, other universities and colleges to promote inclusive economic development, and to open up access to university study and economic opportunity to people from disadvantaged backgrounds - both in the UK and internationally.
Professor Helen Laville
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Kingston University and Incoming Vice-Chancellor, Oxford Brookes University
Professor Laville will be taking up the role of Vice Chancellor at Oxford Brookes University this August. She is currently the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Kingston University in London. Prior to joining Kingston University in 2021, Helen was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) at Manchester Metropolitan University for five years. She was educated at the University of Birmingham and returned there to begin her academic career after completing her PhD at the University of Nottingham. Helen is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, a Governor on the Board of the South Thames College Group and a Trustee of Hospice UK.
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE
Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE is the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, a position she took up in 2016. During Dame Sally’s tenure, the University attained a historic “double first”, ranking top of the two leading University league tables in the UK: the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 and the Guardian University Guide 2024.
Professor Mapstone is President of Universities UK for the period 2023-25. At a national and international level, Professor Mapstone has also served as the Convener of Universities Scotland, Vice-Chair of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and as Chair of the International Advisory Board for the University of Helsinki. She is also currently the Chair of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) board and a trustee of the Europaeum.
Before St Andrews, Dame Sally’s career was spent at the University of Oxford, where she was latterly Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education in the University, and Professor of Older Scots Literature in its Faculty of English, as well as a Fellow of St Hilda’s College.
Debbie McVitty
Editor, Wonkhe
As editor of Wonkhe Debbie is responsible for Wonkhe’s commentary and analysis on higher education across the website, email briefings, podcast and events. Debbie is interested in the social impact of HE, learning, teaching and curriculum, institutional change and innovation, and in bringing to light diverse and under-represented voices in the HE policy debate. She has previously worked in policy and communications roles at Universities UK, the University of Bedfordshire and the National Union of Students. She is an honorary fellow of the School of Education at the University of Birmingham and a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute of Teaching.
Professor Rachel Mills
Senior Vice President (Academic), King’s College London
Professor Rachel A. Mills is the Senior Vice President (Academic) at King’s College London, where she leads the university’s academic strategy and delivery, aligning education and research to enhance impact and effectiveness. She oversees key initiatives such as the Integrated Planning Process and Campus Futures Programme, while sponsoring projects like King’s Climate & Sustainability and Interdisciplinary Science. Previously Provost at the University of Sussex, Rachel spent nearly 30 years at the University of Southampton, holding major leadership roles and championing sustainability. She is a Visiting Professor at Southampton and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and Biology.
Ben Moore
Head of Policy (International), Russell Group
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli
Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli has been Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow since October 2009. An economist, his research interests are monetary economics, central bank independence, fiscal policy, international finance and macroeconomics. Sir Anton is President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, from 1 April 2025. He is a member of the University Grants Committee, Hong Kong and also Chair of its Research Group. From 2017-2020 he was Chair of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities. He has been a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers, a special adviser to the UK House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on monetary policy and has advised the European Commission and the World Bank. He holds honorary degrees from McGill University and Nanka University.
Rajay Naik
Chief Executive Officer, Skilled Education
Rajay Naik is Chief Executive Officer of Skilled Education which boosts enrolments, revenue and outcomes by extending access to online degrees to students from over 150 countries. He is also chairman of the Commission on Lifelong Learning, trustee of The Roundhouse, governor of the Ditchley Foundation, and associate director of Coventry City Football Club. Rajay was formerly director of The Open University, co-founder of FutureLearn and CEO of Keypath.
Professor Jane Norman
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Nottingham
Amy Rollins
Assistant Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications and Chief of Staff, Harvard University
Professor Sasha Roseneil
Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Sussex
Sasha began her term as the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sussex in August 2022. She is Sussex’s ninth Vice-Chancellor. Previously, Sasha was Pro-Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences at UCL. Before that, she was Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Essex, and held leadership positions at Birkbeck, University of London and the University of Leeds. Professor Roseneil has an international reputation for her research on intimate relationships, citizenship, and social movements. Originally trained as a sociologist, and later as a group analyst and psychotherapist, she has played a leading role in establishing the interdisciplinary fields of Gender Studies and Psychosocial Studies. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Professor Julie Sanders
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Royal Holloway, University of London
Julie Sanders is Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Royal Holloway University of London and was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost and before that Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University. She is a Professor of English Literature and Drama, co-edits a series for Oxford University Press on Early Modern Literary Geographies, and currently serves as a trustee for Shakespeare's Globe in London. She has previously served on the Australian Research Council and has carried out reviews of humanities research and teaching in the U.K., Sweden and Ireland.
Professor Rachel Sandison OBE
Deputy Vice Chancellor - External Engagement and Vice Principal - External Relations, University of Glasgow
Rachel is responsible for leading the University of Glasgow’s strategy for external engagement covering an integrated portfolio of International Policy and Partnerships; Marketing and Communications; Brand and Reputation Management; Transnational Education; Student Recruitment and Admissions; Widening Access and Lifelong Learning; Development and Alumni Relations; and Civic Engagement. Rachel is also the University’s Sanctuary Champion. Rachel is the University’s Universitas 21 network Senior Leader, a Board member of the University’s European network, The Guild, and the University lead for the CIVIS European University Alliance. Rachel is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Global Trustee and chair-elect of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Scottish Commissioner for Fulbright US-UK and the Scottish Government's Trade and Investment Envoy for International Education whilst also contributing to several sector advisory boards.
Kirsty Walker
Vice-President External Engagement, University College London
Ian Wiggins
Director of International Affairs, Royal Society
Ian is Director of International Affairs for the Royal Society, the UK's National Academy of Science, where he leads on the Society’s global engagement. Before joining the Royal Society in 2022, Ian worked at the University of York in a number of roles including as Director of Operations, and served as the first Director for the York-Maastricht Partnership, the university's strategic relationship with Maastricht University. Ian is also a former British Diplomat where he worked in the Foreign Office HQ in London on counter terrorism, climate change, and energy policy briefs and had diplomatic postings in Moscow and in Washington D.C. where he was Deputy Head of the Embassy’s political section during the 2016 Presidential elections. He is a chemist by training and holds a Master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham.