09.30
| Registration and refreshments |
09.50
| Welcome and opening remarks
Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive, Universities UK |
10.00
| The state of the nation
UK politics seems to be in a constant state of disarray, division and confusion. An exploration of where the nation is politically, what are the implications for universities and how we navigate the nonsense. Matt Chorley, Editor, The Times Red Box
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10.30
| In conversation: higher education policy, politics and a plan of action
We are now in heavily contested territory for policy focus, local and national budget and politicians time. In the context of the spending review and Brexit – across government departments where do universities fit into the political agenda, how do we effectively make the case for universities and what policy agendas should universities be championing in order to be heard in the corridors of power? - Professor David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor, London South Bank University
- Lord Bassam, Shadow Spokesperson (Further & Higher Education), House of Lords
- Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner, Public First
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11.25
| Refreshments and networking
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11.45
| Breakout sessions
New rules: influencing when you’re not in control of the narrative
In a world where politics plays out on social media, and it only takes a few tweets to generate a reputational issue for your institution, how can universities respond to issues, build trust and shape an agenda? And how can policy and public affairs professionals convince colleagues of the need for a fresh approach? Charles Heymann, Higher education public affairs & strategy expert and Gabriel Huntley, Associate Director, Headland Consultancy
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| Leading change: applying campaigning techniques to your influencing agenda
If you’re trying to change policy and lead an influencing agenda, you need a plan of action. The disciplines of campaigning can help you to frame objectives, identify your audience and their influencers, and generate a theory of change that will set you on the path to making an impact with your policy and public affairs work.
Karmjit Kaur, Assistant Director of Political Affairs, Universities UK |
| Beyond a meeting with the minister: influencing in the UK ParliamentThere are a host of pathways to influence inside the UK Parliament, including backbench and opposition MPs, select committees, APPGs and the Lords. This workshop will explore how universities can influence by making life easier for the hard-pressed staff who support parliamentarians.
Rachel Wenstone, Public Affairs Manager, Charity Commission for England and Wales
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12.45
| Lunch and networking
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13.45
| Comres Research
The results of new polling commissioned by Universities UK will be unveiled in this session, focused on MPs’ perceptions of universities and the issues that matter the most. Wider ComRes political polling work will also be discussed. - Nicola Marsh, Associate Director, ComRes
- Simon Cereda, Research Consultant, ComRes
- Chaired by Nicky Old, Director of Communications and External Relations, Universities UK
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14.15
| Policy conversations: Facilitated policy discussions 2 x 30 minutes session. This is the delegates opportunity to learn more about a specific policy area and also discuss agendas, challenges and plans of action with peers. Delegates will be able to attend two of the below topics:
- Augar, funding and sector finances
- Local partnerships, civic and industrial strategy
- TEF, standards and student outcomes
- Brexit, immigration and the international landscape
- Access to HE and pre-HE qualifications
- Universities reputation, communicating our successes and dealing with media scrutiny
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15.20
| Welcome from the afternoon chairMark Leach, CEO and Editor, Wonkhe
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15.30
| Coalitions, politicians and the right ambitions; lessons from Save the Children
Learn about experiences of designing and implementing successful political engagement and advocacy strategies. Attendees will hear about ‘what works’ in terms of political advocacy and how to adapt strategies in a changing political climate. Kirsty McNeill, Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Save the Children
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16.00
| The future of the British Party Politics
The political party system as we know it is slowly changing, with the establishment of a new party and a lack of discipline within the established mainstream parties. Professor Tim Bale will take attendees through what the current parliamentary arithmetic means for policy making and how the party system could become more fragmented.
Professor Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London |
16.30
| Close of conference and Wonkhe 360 drinks reception
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