Available to Advance HE Members only.
Smarter Futures addresses how higher education needs to evolve rapidly while maintaining quality and accessibility through three expert-led online events. These events will demonstrate how AI and digital technologies can transform your institutional efficiency.
You’ll discover how you could reduce operational inefficiencies, enhance both staff and student experiences, and leverage data for strategic planning. Beyond the sessions, you’ll gain access to peer networks, resources, and a comprehensive sector report highlighting emerging best practices. It’s designed specifically for senior leaders who need actionable solutions, not just theoretical frameworks.
The Challenges we’re addressing
Higher education systems must evolve rapidly to remain sustainable in today’s fast-changing environment.
Rising importance of making services accessible to diverse student populations while maintaining quality.
Greater focus on overall student experience, from learning to health and wellbeing.
Educational models now blend traditional practices with rapidly adopted technology, requiring new approaches.
New technologies are challenging established assessment and feedback models.
Institutions need efficient, effective and creative approaches with seamlessly integrated solutions
Three Expert-Led Online Events
Digital Decisions
Date: Tuesday 26 May
Time: 13:00-14:30pm BST
Leveraging Data to Drive Resilience and Agility
This session equips institutions with practical tools to strengthen decision-making in an AI-enabled environment.
It introduces a Decision Readiness Diagnostic, a clear framework for defining high-quality decisions, and a focused 6-12 month action playbook outlining what to stop, fix and trial.
Together, these tools support more confident, transparent and strategically aligned use of data and digital solutions for planning, delivery and service improvement in an uncertain environment.
Keynote Speaker: Martha Horler
Contributors: Robin Gibson, Narinder Gill and Beth Lane
Smarter Systems
Date: Thursday 9 June
Time: 13:00-14:30pm BST
Automating Processes to Improve Staff and Student Experience
Discover practice and tools that improve the staff and student experience through smarter, more efficient processes.
Keynote Speaker: Al Kingsley
Contributors: Samual Saunders and Jody Sailor
AI for Impact
Date: Tuesday 12 May
Time: 10:00-11:30am BST
Transforming Institutional Efficiency with Smart Technologies
This session provides practical tools to turn AI ambition into strategic impact.
It introduces an AI Impact Alignment Tool to link AI initiatives to institutional priorities and measurable outcomes, an Efficiency vs Impact framework to create a shared language across teams and a focused 6-12 month AI Action Plan outlining what to stop, fix and trial.
Together, these tools support confident, transparent and strategically aligned use of AI across higher education.
Keynote Speaker: Mary Curnock Cook CBE
Contributors: Dr Chris Trace and Simon Thomson
Lead Associate
Dr Miri Firth PFHEA
Academic Lead for Flexible Assessment , The University of Manchester
Dr Miri Firth is Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead for Assessment at the University of Manchester, where she leads sector-wide innovation in employability education and flexible assessment. Her teaching practice is grounded in inclusive pedagogy, experiential learning, and research-led curriculum design, enabling students to develop confidence, creativity, and career-readiness.
Speakers
Mary Curnock Cook CBE
Independent Education Expert
Mary Curnock Cook is an independent education expert serving in a non-executive capacity on a number of Boards.
Mary is chair of Pearson Education, its UK arm, and also chairs the governing body of the Dyson Institute. She is a non-exec Director at the Student Loans Company, the London Interdisciplinary School, the Student Room and Education Cubed, and a Trustee at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI).
Dr Chris Trace
Chief Academic Officer, KEATH.ai Ltd
Dr Chris Trace is the Chief Academic Officer for KEATH.ai Ltd, an innovative EdTech start-up that spun out from the University of Surrey.
Chris was the Head of Digital Learning at the University of Surrey as well as a member of the steering group of the Heads of eLearning Forum (HeLF).
Simon Thomson
Director of Flexible Lifelong Learning , Cardiff University
Professor Simon Thomson has a research interest in mixed-modal education, which has emerged his openly licensed Subject, Pedagogy and Modality (SPaM) framework for supporting hybrid education.
Martha Horler
Higher Education Data Specialist
Martha Horler has worked in the UK higher education sector for over two decades, primarily specialising in data strategy, governance, and insight. Her experience spans both institutional roles and consultancy, where she has supported universities, colleges, and small providers to improve their data practices and drive better decision-making.
Al Kingsley
EdTech Advisor, Mentor, Author and Speaker
Al Kingsley has the EdTech CEO and Multi Academy Trust Chair roles, Al also chairs his regional SEND Board. With 30+ years of experience, Al also sits on the Regional Schools Director’s Advisory Board for the East of England and is Chair of the BESA EdTech Group.
Robin Gibson
Director of External Affair, Kortext
As Director of External Affairs at Kortext, Robin leads strategic engagement and thought leadership with UK universities at the intersection of learning, technology and institutional transformation.
Narinder Gill
Educational Leader, Executive Coach and Author
Narinder Gill is an educational leader, executive coach and author who has led some of England’s most challenging primary schools. As a DfE RISE Adviser, she works alongside schools and system leaders to apply evidence-informed practice and data insights to strengthen leadership capacity, build resilience and support sustainable improvement.
Beth Lane
Award-Winning AI Education Leader
Dr Beth Lane is a qualified Computer Science teacher and AI researcher with a PhD in medical Artificial Intelligence, where her research applied deep learning to support the diagnosis of heart disease.
Samual Saunders
Educational Developer in the Centre for Innovation in Education, University of Liverpool
Samuel Saunders has expertise and research interests in assessment and feedback practices, Generative AI in Education, multimodal pedagogies and Generative AI, decolonising authentic pedagogy, and curriculum and learning design.
Jody Sailor
Senior Director of Academic Strategy and Innovation at Instructure
Jody Sailor focuses on developing and implementing strategic initiatives to transform teaching and learning. With over two decades of experience in education, Jody’s previous roles as Senior Director of Product Management for the Canvas portfolio, adjunct instructor, classroom teacher, special educator, coach, and district leader have shaped her passion for creating inclusive, technology-driven learning environments.
What You’ll Gain
- Improved Understanding – Discover how AI and digital solutions can be practically applied to reduce inefficiencies, enhance experiences, and support strategic planning in your own context
- Enhanced Collaboration – Increased knowledge exchange between institutions, with new cross-sector connections formed through shared challenges and innovations
- Building Awareness – Stronger understanding of current and emerging digital practices as we capture and disseminate insights from the series
- Data-Informed Decisions – Enhanced ability to make strategic decisions and implement scalable, efficient solutions aligned with long-term organisational goals.
In today’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape, we’re constantly balancing the need for innovation with operational sustainability. Smarter Futures gives you practical insights from experts and peers on how to harness AI and technology to reduce inefficiencies, enhance our students’ and staff experience, and make strategic decisions backed by data.
Elliot Spaeth – Senior Consultant, Inclusive Education
It’s not just theory – it’s actionable intelligence that could help you stay competitive while maintaining educational excellence and these cross-institutional events could open doors to partnerships and solutions.
Advance HE
