The quality of the student experience depends on the knowledge, skill and professional confidence of everyone who designs, delivers and supports learning. Yet expectations of higher education are shifting around assessment, curriculum, external examining and what it means to teach well, at a time when many practitioners are navigating these demands with limited time and professional development support. Sustaining educational quality requires investment in people, not just process.
Advance HE professional development programmes, events such as our symposia series and conferences including our flagship Teaching and Learning Conference support institutions to build and maintain educational excellence through people development. Our portfolio enables those new to teaching and experienced practitioners alike to deepen their pedagogical knowledge, engage with current evidence and share practice with peers, helping institutions to develop confident, capable educators who can meet the evolving expectations of students, regulators and the wider sector.
Symposia
Educational Excellence Symposium
Date: 10 December 2026 | Online
Explore approaches to advancing educational excellence in higher education, focusing on innovative teaching, curriculum design, and inclusive practice. Engage with sector leaders, share evidence-informed strategies, and strengthen learning, teaching, and assessment to enhance student outcomes and experience.
Assessment and Feedback Symposium
Date: 9 February 2027 | Online
This will explore innovative approaches to assessment and feedback in higher education, focusing on inclusive practice, authentic assessment, and digital learning. Share ideas, discover emerging pedagogies, and learn how to enhance student engagement and success.
Employability Symposium
Date: 18 March 2027 | Online
Explore emerging trends and practical strategies to enhance student employability in higher education. Discover innovative partnerships, inclusive approaches, and insights into preparing learners for a rapidly changing world of work.
Lifelong Learning Symposium
Date: 22 April 2027 | Online
Explore how higher education can adapt to a rapidly changing world by embedding flexible, inclusive, and future-focused approaches to lifelong learning. Gain insights into designing stackable learning pathways, supporting diverse learners, and building stronger links between education systems and evolving skills needs.
Research Culture Symposium
Date: 8 June 2027 | Online
This symposium will explore how healthy, inclusive research environments can be built and sustained. Discover practical insights on leadership, equality, diversity and inclusion, and research culture while connecting with colleagues and sharing ideas across the sector.
Teaching and Learning Conference
Our 3-day flagship conference brings together academics from around the world to transform teaching and learning in higher education. Engage with global perspectives, share innovative and evidence-based practice, and explore inclusive teaching, digital innovation, curriculum design, and strategies that enhance student success.
Mental Wellbeing in HE Conference 2027
Date: 13 May 2027
A conference brought to you by the Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Committee and Advance HE.
This conference brings together international experts, educators, and student support professionals. Share evidence-based practice, explore innovative approaches to student and staff wellbeing, and strengthen inclusive, compassionate support across the sector.
Healthcare Educators NET Conference
Date: 2 December 2026 | Online
A conference brought to you by the Networking and Innovation in Healthcare Education Committee and Advance HE.
Explore a networking conference focused on practice-ready healthcare education, supporting professional transitions, journeys, and development across disciplines. Connect with international educators, share evidence-based practice and gain insights into preparing learners for real-world healthcare environments through innovative and inclusive approaches.
Personal Development Course for External Examiners
Date: Various dates available. First course starts 24 September 2026 | Online
The overarching aim of the course is to contribute to the maintenance of degree standards and their reasonable comparability across the UK higher education systems by providing training for external examiners. Can expect to gain understanding of the role of the external examiner and be confident to undertake it as well as develop a deeper understanding of the nature of academic standards and professional judgement. This is the only training course for external examiners in the UK.
Institutional Development of External Examiners
Date: 30 July 2027 | Online
Explore institutional approaches to strengthening external examining practices in UK higher education. Developed following the Degree Standards project (2016–2021), this programme highlights external examining as a key feature of the sector. Gain insights into quality assurance, consistency, and enhancement of assessment, and engage with sector expertise to support robust, fair, and effective academic standards across institutions.
Supporting Your Journey to Fellowship
Recognising your teaching excellence. Supporting your professional growth.
Advance HE offers programmes to support your journey to Fellowship, whether you are beginning or seeking recognition for your experience in higher education.
Gain a clear understanding of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), reflect on your practice, and prepare a strong, evidence-based application for Associate, Fellow, Senior, or Principal Fellowship.
With structured guidance, expert feedback, and peer support, you can turn your teaching and learning experience into a compelling case for recognition.
Fellowship Application Builder
Different cohorts run throughout the year.
The Fellowship Application Builder (FAB) is a six-week online, self-directed course designed to enable individuals to use their experience of their teaching and supporting learning practice in higher education to develop a direct application for Fellowship (Descriptor 2 of the PSF 2023). This fully online course has been developed to provide an accessible and convenient format for you, with a time commitment of 2-3 hours per week.
Senior Fellowship Support Programme
Specialist 12-week virtual programme supporting individuals to achieve Senior Fellowship of Advance HE. It recognises professional practice, impact, and leadership in teaching and learning.
The programme provides structured guidance, dedicated writing sessions, and review of a draft PSF 2023 application with one-to-one feedback, led by an experienced consultant.
Delivered in cohorts, it is especially valuable for institutions without accredited provision.
Principal Fellowship Support Programme
Specialist 12-week virtual programme supporting individuals to achieve Principal Fellowship of Advance HE. It is designed for cohort-based learning and helps demonstrate practice, impact, and leadership in teaching and supporting learning.
The programme includes expert guidance, dedicated writing sessions, peer support, and one-to-one feedback on a draft PSF 2023 application. Led by an experienced consultant, it is particularly suited to those in institutions without accredited provision.
Principal Fellow Record of Strategic Educational Impact Support Sessions
Date: 30 July 2027 | Online
These virtual one-to-one sessions are designed to provide support for colleagues who are starting the process of completing their Principal Fellow direct application (Descriptor 4 of the PSF 2023), and who need more guidance on the Record of Strategic Educational Impact (RSEI) element. The sessions will be of benefit in the following ways:
