Advance HE hosts inaugural UK all members and stakeholders meeting to spotlight impact and value under new Advance HE leadership.
Almost 100 higher education leaders from across Advance HE membership in the UK convened in London and virtually for our first ever ‘All Members and Stakeholders Meeting’ on 7 October.
Chair of the Advance HE Board, Professor Mark E Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, welcomed colleagues from across the UK HE sector and Advance HE membership with an overview of the strategy, goals and challenges ahead for the organisation.
Futurist opens strategic conversations
Tracey Follows, founder of FutureMade Ltd and recognised as one of Forbes’ top 50 female futurists globally, delivered a stimulating and provocative keynote address.
Follows, who regularly advises businesses and policymakers on transformational global trends, delivered insights designed to help HE institutions anticipate and prepare for the sweeping changes reshaping the sector.
She provided strategic foresight on emerging trends that could impact institutional planning and student outcomes, offering insights on anticipating emerging developments and positioning institutions ahead of the transformational changes reshaping higher education.
New leadership takes centre stage
The event provided a backdrop for the formal introduction of Alistair Jarvis CBE as Advance HE’s new Chief Executive. Jarvis, who brings extensive sector experience to the role, outlined his vision for strengthening the organisation’s support for members and highlighted the need for change to ensure value and impact.
He said, “Higher education institutions’ needs are changing.
“Serving our members in this difficult and changing context means that Advance HE needs to change.
“My recent conversations with many of our members have reinforced the need for us to focus on how we can enhance our support for transformation and change.
“In the context of financial pressures, changing student demands, international uncertainty and digital developments, we need to be an enhancement agency.
“I am committed to ensuring that Advance HE listens carefully to our members and becomes a trusted partner in supporting you with transformation and change – working in close collaboration with partners to deliver products, services and programmes that are high impact and high value.”
2030 Strategy
The meeting provided attendees with insights into Advance HE’s 2030 Strategy, which focuses on three core pillars: leadership, management and governance development for transformational change; educational excellence for future higher education; and enhanced membership impact and value.
Participants learned of practical solutions developed from Vice Chancellor and executive leader roundtable insights and how the Member Benefits 2025-26 package will enhance their engagement with the three global themes:
- Education for the future: rethink, redesign, recreate- addressing how institutions can adapt pedagogical approaches for evolving student needs
- Governing and leading transformation in complex landscapes- providing frameworks for institutional leadership during periods of significant change
- Support and recognition for inclusion- advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across member institutions
Networking strengthens sector collaboration
The event emphasised Advance HE’s unique position as a global convening organisation, connecting higher education leaders and research staff worldwide around shared challenges and innovative solutions. Networking opportunities at the event facilitated meaningful exchanges between institutional leaders from diverse institutional contexts.
Advance HE excels at bringing together the right people to address our collective experiences and challenges. As senior leaders, these events are invaluable – they foster the collaboration and collegiality we need to develop meaningful solutions. It’s through this kind of professional engagement that we become more transformative in our roles. Together we are stronger.”
Professor Becky Huxley-Binns, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Canterbury Christchurch University
It’s an opportunity to network – to see familiar faces and meet new ones. You can finally connect with people who’ve been on your to-do list, the ones you haven’t reached because you’ve been caught up in the day-to-day. There are wonderful chance encounters with brilliant former colleagues who’ve moved on, giving you the chance to catch up on what they’re doing and the challenges they’re facing. “It’s about listening to those underlying conversations happening across the sector – the ones that reveal which challenges need to be discussed more openly. These are the issues we can group around and find solutions for together.”
Professor Zoe Radnor, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the College of Business and Social Sciences, Aston University
Events for Advance HE members outside of the UK
Almost a third of Advance HE members are based outside of the UK. Future engagement events are planned for members in Ireland, Australia and the Gulf region in 2026 as part of our broader commitment to fostering international collaboration and providing member institutions with the strategic insights and practical tools needed to thrive in an increasingly complex higher education environment.
