The keynote will be an ‘in conversation’ discussion with Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, Simon Merrywest, Executive Director for the Student Experience, and Faculty Vice-President and Dean, Professor Fiona Devine. The session will focus on the core areas of delivery work taking place across teaching, learning and the student experience as part of From Manchester for the world, our strategy to 2035.

Maggie Gale, Vice-Dean for Research, and Chloe Jeffries, Faculty Research and Innovation Manager, will lead this 45-minute session. It will focus on the UKRI mission-driven research grant agenda and developing a more collective, team-based approach to grant development and capture. The session will also consider practical actions to support researchers in responding effectively to this evolving funding landscape.

Our four, 15-minute presentations showcase research and teaching and learning projects which are making a significant impact: 

• Konstantinos (Kostas) Arvanitis (SALC) – The impact of rapid response collecting after tragedies on cultural organisations and affected publics
• Rachel Challinor (SEED) – Delivering consistently high NSS results in SEED
• Tine Buffel (SoSS) – Co-producing age-friendly policy and practice through collaborative research
• Chris Garnett and Marie Dutordoir (AMBS) – Partnerships strategy project with MBA candidates

Alec Severs, Students’ Union Faculty of Humanities Officer, will lead this 45-minute student panel session featuring Student Representatives from our four Schools. The discussion will focus on student life in 2026.

Fiona Smyth, Faculty Deputy Dean, and Stuart Phillipson, Faculty eLearning Manager, will lead this 45-minute workshop, which will focus on the opportunities presented by AI in teaching and learning. The session will provide context on the current landscape, highlight practical examples of emerging and existing use across curriculum design, assessment, feedback and student engagement, and create space for discussion on the implications for leadership, priorities and future development in the Faculty.

Dimitris Papadimitriou, Vice-Dean for Social Responsibility and Inclusion, will lead this 45-minute workshop with Tahira Majothi, EDI Partner, and Pooja Furniss, Director of Talent Attraction and Co-Chair of the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment team. It will provide an opportunity to reflect on the Faculty’s progress at the mid-point of its Silver Race Equality Charter (REC) journey and to gather views on how Humanities can better meet the aspirations of minoritised colleagues and students. Structured around two themes — inclusive culture and practice for staff, and an equitable and representative learning environment for students — the session will use facilitated table discussions to identify priorities, surface lived experience and inform the next phase of the Faculty’s REC action planning. Roz Webster, Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability Manager, Beth Pedder, EDI and International Projects Officer will be supporting the workshop.

This is the final session of the day and will give delegates the chance to ask our Faculty Executive (FE) questions on any Faculty or University-related topics and themes. If you would like to submit a question in the lead up to the conference, please use the Menti link.