Our 2011 H.E. conference was another resounding success. The academic quality of the event was underlined by the presence of the morning’s two keynote speakers, Prof Stefano Harney (Queen Mary, University of London) and Prof Miriam Zukas (Birkbeck, University of London).

Prof Harney spoke about involving students in their own learning, and broadening their horizons by extending the content of business courses beyond the orthodox confines of the discipline. Prof Zukas spoke about the purposes of higher education teaching, and the value of undertaking learning in professional as well as academic contexts.

The afternoon session comprised a series of workshops featuring a further external speaker, Penny Shepherd MBE, Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Sustainable Investment and Finance Association. Penny linked environmental and social responsibility to the financial sector, and her Q and A with delegates generated excellent ideas for inculcating sustainability within a higher education curriculum.

The afternoon workshops also featured hands-on sessions in technology-enhanced learning, with a number of our academic community members now on Twitter as a direct consequence! We also had an overview of the economy, and a summary of a current doctoral research project being undertaken by one of our own academics.

The feedback conference has been excellent (even if Prof Zukas did urge caution about the learning benefits of evaluation forms!), and the level of both the presentations and the discussions was exceptionally high.

We look to build upon this year’s conference throughout 2011, and to plan a similarly high-profile event for 2012.

Keynote highlights

Listen to Professor Stefeno Harney’s thoughts on the ‘Exhausted student’.

Professor Miriam Zukas talks about reflection in education.

Members of the ifs Academic Community can access the slides from the HE Conference by clicking here (requires log-in).

Testimonials

"Suprisingly I found the sustainability session very useful.  Its a subject that I haven't really looked at in depth and it certainly opened my eyes to what is going to be a very hot agenda item for some time to come."
Andy Groves, Senior Faculty

"Both the sessions I attended in the afternoon were run by members of Senior Faculty. They were both well structured and encouraged debate amongst the attendees on key issues."
Alastair Tyler, ifs Board of Governors

"Enjoyed Prof. Harney as it was radically different from anything I had heard before."
Jim Walker, Associate Lecturer, Strategic Management in Financial Services

"I found the two keynote speakers genuinely inspiring.  it's great to know that whilst we might not have all the answers yet, conversations are taking place around the role and nature of education in an evolving world.  Really enjoyed the lady from UKSIF too, and John Hearn's talk was entertaining and informed as always."
Catherine Turner, Author, Relationship and Wealth Management

"All speakers and workshops were useful.  Each one was thought provoking in its own way and Professor's Harney and Zukas in particular have me now questioning aspects of my own teaching with ifs, my full-time position and my own children - not bad for a one day conference."
Steve Davies, Associate Lecturer, Organisations & Individuals

"Morning keynote speakers were the most interesting.  I particularly liked the concept of the exhausted student."
Melanie Siggs, Head of Policy & Planning, ifs School of Finance

"The location is fantastic, facilities more than adequate, the content was considered and in my view relevant."
"As always all ifs staff were most welcoming and friendly.  I can honestly say that this is always the case with every event I have attended.  Thank you and well done again."
Helen Wilkie, Associate Lecturer, Financial Markets & Risk

"Podcast session and Stefano were awesome!!" 
Pam Hardy, Senior Faculty