The AHUA Autumn Conference, held on 12th September 2025, at the Open University in Milton Keynes, brought together 104 attendees from 71 institutions to discuss the future of higher education.
A huge thank you to everyone who made the conference a success—the speakers, sponsors, delegates, and staff. For those who couldn’t make it, here’s a rundown of the key highlights.
New Leadership and a Changing Landscape
The conference opened with AHUA Chair Nicola Owen welcoming everyone, highlighting the value of the AHUA community for both new and long-time members. She also announced that Helen Galbraith from the University of Chester will be taking over as Chair in April 2026. Helen was elected for a three-year term and has been involved with the AHUA executive committee since 2019.
Nicola reflected on her six years as Chair, noting significant changes like the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in governments, and the rise of AI. Despite these challenges, she emphasized that the sector is well-equipped to navigate change.
Open University Vice Chancellor Professor Dave Phoenix also welcomed attendees, speaking about the university’s mission to provide accessible distance learning. He noted that the sector’s willingness to evolve is crucial, especially with the complexities of different funding systems and political frameworks across the UK.
Panel Discussions on Collaboration and Challenges
The opening plenary, chaired by Dave Hall from the Open University, explored how to “rethink the ties that bind” in higher education. The expert panel discussed several key points:
- Polling data from Jessica Ozan at Ipsos UK showed that while young people and parents value higher education, they have concerns about free speech, costs, and institutional stability.
- Mark Leach from WonkHE talked about university mergers, cautioning that while mergers might be a future blueprint, they require significant upfront investment.
- Diana Beech from City St George’s, University of London touched on the political landscape, including populist politics and perceptions of immigration, and their effects on universities.
- Josh Fleming from the OfS acknowledged the many strengths of UK higher education, such as its high quality, student satisfaction, and economic impact. However, he also highlighted challenges like AI, free speech, and the role of governance, stressing the need for the sector and regulators to work together to maintain quality and sustainability.
Workshops and Closing Thoughts
Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops:
- AHUA and SUMS debuted the Organisational Efficiency Maturity Assessment, an open-source tool designed to improve efficiency.
- Alistair Jarvis from Advance HE and Eileen Schofield from Scottish Secretaries led a session on sector governance, emphasizing the need for both administrative discipline and a positive governance culture.
- Our Development Partner Perrett Laver explored the future skills needed for university leadership roles, focusing on adapting to new technology and political landscapes.
- Rachel Holmes from AHUA provided techniques for leaders to balance the diverse demands of their roles.
- The conference sponsor Concerto offered creative approaches to managing university estates to be both valuable and affordable.
- Shakespeare Martineau, our National Sponsor discussed how institutions are adapting to new free speech legislation, providing legal and practical examples.
The conference’s closing plenary, chaired by Alistair Jarvis, focused on the barriers and enablers of new collaborations. The panellists raised important questions about preserving institutional diversity, ensuring universities have the necessary skills and finances for new models, and managing the loss of autonomy that can come with partnerships.
Looking Ahead
Incoming Chair Helen Galbraith closed the conference by thanking everyone and acknowledging Nicola Owen’s six years of dedicated leadership. Helen emphasized that the AHUA is at its best when it encourages dialogue and collaboration among members, a focus she plans to continue.
To learn more about Helen’s history with AHUA and her vision for the future, you can read the full blog post here
The next AHUA conference is scheduled for 20th and 21st April 2026 in Exeter.
