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A Brave New World of Higher Education: young leaders look to the future at UEL conference

Tuesday 12 June 2007

Educational experts and young leaders from around the UK and Europe gathered at the University of East London (UEL) Docklands Campus on Monday 11 June for the closing conference of a major British Council project to examine the future of higher education.

The conference, entitled A Brave New World of Higher Education, was the culmination of the British Council’s Shaping Higher Education for the 21st Century initiative, aimed at inspiring debate in six north and east European countries.

The project began in January, when selected young professionals from Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Norway, Slovenia and the UK attended a three-day seminar at Oxford University. The participants discussed ideas and approaches, before returning home to create models for the development of higher education in their own countries by 2020.

At this week’s UEL conference, participants shared their proposals with an audience of higher education experts, including Bahram Bekhradnia, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, and Sir Roderick Floud, Vice President of the European Universities Association.

Dr Barrie Morgan, Higher Education Consultant at the British Council, said: “Maximising the potential of higher education is one of the greatest challenges that we currently face as Europeans. This project has been a great opportunity to share ideas and discuss a wide range of key themes, including accessibility, the role of the state and the future of learning and teaching.

“We deliberately chose the University of East London as the host of our final conference as it shows a very different side of British higher education compared to where we began the initiative in Oxford. UEL has exciting campuses in a rapidly expanding region of London, as well as a contrasting mission in regards to its students.”

Professor Martin Everett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East London, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the final conference of this important exploration of the future of higher education.

"At UEL, we are determined to rise to the challenges of modern higher education. Learning from the ideas and experiences of others is an essential process as we seek to build on our reputation as a dynamic and successful modern university, increasingly recognised for excellence in teaching and research, as well as for our distinctive vision, values and culture.”

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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