HEFCE Annual Conference 2008
Unlocking the full potential of higher education
HEFCE Annual Conference 2008
University of Warwick, 7-8 April 2008
This year's annual conference explored how we can realise the full potential of higher education to the benefit of society and the economy. Conference delegates heard from a number of speakers including John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, HEFCE's Chief Executive Professor David Eastwood and HEFCE's new chair, Tim Melville-Ross.
A centrepiece of the conference was a Dragons' Den style facilitated session, where delegates were able to vote for and 'invest' in ideas from five influential presenters for unlocking the full potential of higher education.
The results of HEFCE-commissioned study of higher education league tables and their impact on institutions were also announced.
HEFCE has provided session commentaries on the conference through a blog. Delegates can comment on any of these commentaries. To comment, scroll to the end of the blog entry and fill out the boxes beneath ‘Leave a reply’. Please note that there may be a delay before the comment appears.
Keynote speech
'Unlocking the full potential of higher education: the Government's approach'
John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
- An interview with John Denham: Text of speech
- Blog entry by Conor Ryan: Universities Secretary urges VCs to go back to school
'Unlocking the potential of higher education: achievements, challenges and opportunities'
Professor David Eastwood, Chief Executive, HEFCE
- An interview with Professor David Eastwood: Text of speech
- Combined transcript and slides: [ Adobe PDF 176K ]
- Presentation slides: [ MS PowerPoint 1.6Mb | Zipped PowerPoint 1.3Mb ]
- Blog entry by Conor Ryan: Physics boost as conference gets underway
- HEFCE secures physics collaboration in South East England
Unlocking the full potential of higher education in the Dragons' Den
NUS President, Gemma Tumelty, triumphed in the den with 27 per cent of delegate votes for her £60,000 bid to improve the voice of students in higher education.
Presenters included Lord Dearing, Gemma Tumelty, Patrick Dunne, Ann Finlayson and Sir Martin Harris.
- Presentation of results in the Dragons' Den: [ MS PowerPoint 407K | Zipped PowerPoint 252K ]
- Analysis of results in the Dragons' Den: [ MS Excel 260K | Zipped Excel 32K ]
- Blog entry: Dragons' Den (1)
- Blog entry by Conor Ryan: Student leader triumphs in Dragons’ Den
- Blog entry by Donald Macleod: Youthful charm and energy wins out over statesmanlike experience
Results of the HEFCE-commissioned study of HE league tables and their impact on institutions
The conference saw a rigorous debate about league tables following the publication by HEFCE of research suggesting they could be improved.
- Blog entry by Conor Ryan: Turning the tables
- Research into university league tables shows room for improvement
Employer engagement: a tale of one city
Anglia Ruskin University and University of Cambridge presented two different approaches to employer engagement offering the views of employers and learners.
- A tale of one city:
- an employer's approach: [ MS PowerPoint 3.3Mb | Zipped PowerPoint 3.2Mb ]
- a university's approach: [ MS PowerPoint 168K | Zipped PowerPoint 128K ]
- Blog entry by Conor Ryan: A tale of one city
Last updated 6 June 2008