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Every year UCL staff and students come together to share innovative practice and solutions to perennial challenges in education.
The UCL Education Conference: Education for Transformation
Wednesday 15 April 2026
Join us at the UCL Institute of Education to explore how we design and deliver higher education experiences that create meaningful transformation. This includes strengthening inclusive learning communities, (re)designing equitable teaching practices, and developing partnerships that enhance our impact within UCL and beyond.
Registrations closed on 27 March.
Sub-themes we'll explore
- Inclusive engagement and co-creation
How can students and staff co-create and transform learning in a way that empowers diverse voices and perspectives?
This might include strategies for fostering belonging in large, diverse cohorts and in smaller group teaching approaches, and output from successful UCL ChangeMaker projects.
- Assessment for belonging and growth
How can assessment become a tool for equity, confidence building, and transformation?
This might include identity-affirming, inclusive and authentic assessment approaches that help students to recognise their own development.
- Teaching and learning for equity
How can we transform teaching and learning environments to meaningfully advance equity for all learners?
This might include universal design for learning, intersectional practice, and digital inclusion, and approaches that challenge structural barriers to participation.
- Partnerships and impact beyond the institution
How do our external partnerships shape our education design and delivery, and help us impact the world outside of Higher Education?
This might include collaboration with research communities, professional bodies, industrial/work-related partners and employers, community partners, and underrepresented groups.
Details of the day
Key documents
- View the Conference Programme (UCL login required) for a detailed breakdown of the day.
- Read the abstracts of parallel sessions and workshops (UCL login required) to choose which sessions you'll attend.
Overview
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| All day | Quiet room | Room 728 |
| 9.00–9.25am | Registration | Foyer, Level 3 (street level, see floorplan) |
| 9.00–9.25am | Tea/coffee and pastries | Crush Hall, Level 1 (see floorplan) |
| 9.30–9.40am | Conference open – Dr. Peter Fitch | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 9.40–9.55am | Welcome – UCL Vice Provost Professor Jennie Shaw (Education & Student Experience) | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 9.55–10.45am | Keynote Panel 1 – Perspectives on transformative education, with Sarah Jilani, Dr Kenisha Linton-Williams, Professor Sue Rigby, and Professor Jennie Shaw | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 10.45–10.50am | HEDS (Arena) Spotlight – Arena Programme | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 10.50–11.10am | Tea/coffee | Crush Hall, Level 1 |
| 11.15am–12.15pm | Parallel sessions 1 | Various |
| 12.20–1.20pm | Lunch | Crush Hall, Level 1 |
| 1.20–1.35pm | UCL Education priorities, plans, and progress – Professor Parama Chaudhury, Professor Kathryn Woods, & Karen Barnard | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 1.35–1.40pm | HEDS (Arena) Spotlight – Inclusive Education | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 1.40–2.30pm | Keynote Panel 2 – Student & alumni perspectives on transformative education with Amelia Page, Cole Ricketts, Alexander Varni, Geneva Virasami, Jadesola Adesola and Stevie Barnes. | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 2.30–2.35pm | HEDS (Careers) Spotlight – Pillars of Employability | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 2.35–2.40pm | HEDS (Arena) Spotlight – Resources and Toolkits | Logan Hall, Level 1 |
| 2.40–3.10pm | Tea/coffee | Crush Hall, Level 1 |
| 3.15–4.00pm | Parallel sessions 2 | Various |
| 4.10–4.45pm | Themed discussions and reflections | Various |
| 5.00–7.00pm | Drinks reception | Crush Hall, Level 1 |
Our keynote panels
In the morning we will hear from leaders in education:
- Sarah Jilani
Sarah Jilani is the current Education Officer at Students’ Union UCL. She recently graduated with a BA in English from UCL. During her undergraduate degree, Sarah served as a Transition Mentor and Academic Representative, offering support to new students and advocating for academic improvements. Sarah was also trained as an Impartial Chair for the Students’ Union and has contributed to campus life through her work as a UCL Student Journalist and as an illustrator and writer for the student journalism society, Pi Media. Beyond UCL, Sarah has previously worked in a faith school for several years, and volunteered at a summer school supporting refugee children, experiences which have deepened her commitment to inclusive, accessible, and high-quality education.
- Dr Kenisha Linton-Williams
Dr Kenisha Linton-Williams is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Greenwich, Honorary Fellow (Race Equality) at Queen Margaret University, and Fellow of the Institute for Equity University Centre. She holds a PhD in Management from Royal Holloway, University of London, and is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and Certified Management & Business Educator. A social scientist specialising in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), her research examines how gender, race and ethnicity shape lived experiences, mobility and outcomes within complex institutional systems. Using mixed-methods and participatory co-design approaches, she works collaboratively with organisations to move beyond generic EDI initiatives towards context-specific, evidence-led culture change. Her work has informed policy and practice across policing, healthcare, the civil service, faith institutions and higher education, and she currently leads and co-leads multi-institutional projects focused on racial equity, awarding differentials, inclusive curriculum design, academic integrity and systemic culture transformation in UK higher education.
- Professor Jennie Shaw
Professor Jennie Shaw took up the role of UCL’s Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience) in September 2025. Previously in the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) at the University of Adelaide, Jennie oversaw support for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students from enrolment to graduation, and was responsible for the university's libraries, student accommodation, teaching quality, teaching excellence, education transformation and the student experience. She is passionate about helping students from all backgrounds reach their full potential.
- Professor Sue Rigby
Sue Rigby is Vice Chancellor and Principal of Edinburgh Napier University, taking this role in January 2025 after seven years leading Bath Spa University. She is also the Chair of Student Minds, a mental health charity focussed on student wellbeing. Sue’s original research area was in palaeontology but her Chair is in higher education design. Sue has research interests across post-18 learning and teaching, she led the UK-wide Learning Gain project and led the team that produced the second edition of the Credit Framework for England. She was a member of the Board of Quality Assurance Agency for five years until 2024 and is a member of the advisory board of the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
In the afternoon, we will hear from current UCL students Amelia Page and Cole Ricketts, alongside UCL alumni Alexander Varni, Geneva Virasami, Jadesola Adesola and Stevie Barnes. The panel will discuss how we can transform education, its impact on their learning and reflections on their professional lives and further studies.
Any questions?
Please get in touch with Pete Fitch, Associate Director, UCL Higher Education and Development Support Institute (Faculty Partnership & Programme Enhancement), or Caroline Paige, Projects Manager (Arena Curriculum Planning).