Higher education minister Michelle Donelan tops the speakers at this year¡¯s as the English sector awaits details of major funding reforms.

Ms Donelan will deliver the opening keynote at the event, held on 24 and 25 November, amid suggestions that the Westminster administration is considering publishing a White Paper, potentially covering options such as introducing minimum entry requirements to qualify for student loans and restricting finance eligibility for courses at particular institutions deemed ¡°low value¡±.

Joining Ms Donelan on the programme is David Olusoga, professor of public history at the University of Manchester and an award-winning broadcaster, who will discuss how higher education institutions can navigate their way through the ¡°culture wars¡±.

The theme for the in-person event, held at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel, is ¡°Moving beyond recovery: are you up for the challenge?¡±

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It will also feature former universities minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone and Michael Spence, president of UCL, in discussion about a ¡°road map¡± for practical UK-China engagement, as well as five institutional leaders assessing the challenges coming up in 2022 in the popular ¡°v-c question time¡± session: Cara Aitchison, vice-chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University; Linda Doyle, president of Trinity College Dublin; Shitij Kapur, president of King¡¯s College London; Craig Mahoney, principal of the University of the West of Scotland; and Lisa Roberts, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter.

Other policy-focused sessions include an address by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh education minister, and a panel discussion about which elements of their Covid responses universities should retain, including Helena Gillespie, associate pro vice-chancellor of student inclusion at the University of East Anglia, Rachel Hewitt, chief executive of MillionPlus, and Charlie Jeffery, vice-chancellor of the University of York.

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Sessions will also explore how universities can lead the way to net zero, make the case for widening participation in a politically hostile environment, and build an inclusive research culture.

Much of the agenda draws inspiration from THE Campus, Times Higher Education¡¯s resource-sharing platform, with dedicated strands focused on teaching and learning, marketing and communications, student experience and outcomes, and estates.

Practical, solutions-focused discussions and workshops will examine the ¡°dos and don¡¯ts¡± of blended learning, how to support student well-being in the pandemic era, and the role of universities in the development of campus towns.

The climax of the event will be the THE Awards ceremony, being held at the same venue on the evening of 25 November.

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