Mental health in higher education conference

Professor Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England, and President, Universities UK

• ​Gareth Hughes, Research Lead for Student Wellbeing, University of Derby and Charter Content Development Lead and Psychoeducation Lead for Student Space, Student Minds
• Dr Samantha Rogers, Senior Research Officer, Office for National Statistics
• Dr Chris Johnston, Public Policy Analyst, Office for National Statistics
• Michael Priestley, Co-chair, Student Mental Health Research Network (SMaRteN) PHD & ECR Virtual Lab Group, and PhD student, Durham University
• Dasha Karzunina, Consultant, Cibyl 

This session will set the scene for the conference showcasing the most up-to-date research and insights into the current landscape, hearing from various perspectives.

• Alex Burghart MP, Minister for Skills, Department for Education

• Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Kent
• Professor Nic Beech, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University
• Professor Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England, and President, Universities UK
• Chair: Aisha Akinola, Vice President Welfare, Edinburgh University Students' Association

This session is focused on highlighting the importance of senior leadership when addressing mental health in higher education. This in-conversation style session will see three vice-chancellors talking about the significance of this work and how their own health and wellbeing underpins their leadership.

Professor Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England, and President, Universities UK

Host: John de Pury, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK

In this networking session, you can meet colleagues and swap best practices and solutions to sector wide challenges. This discussion will focus on challenges related to coronavirus and long covid. Bring your drink of choice, turn your camera and microphone on and get settled in for a lively discussion.

This session will open with a performance piece that aims to make climate science more accessible to people in educational, entertaining and empowering ways. The performance will encompass eco-anxiety and how to overcome it through conversation; what the world may look like if we don’t address the climate emergency and a poem exclusively written for the conference that looks at climate grief and mental health.  

• Professor Mark Dooris, Professor in Health & Sustainability, Co-Director, Healthy & Sustainable Settings Unit, University of Central Lancashire
• Caroline Hickman, Psychotherapist and Lecturer, University of Bath
• Chair: Julie Tam, Deputy Director, Policy, Universities UK

This session will discuss the benefits that the environment has on mental health and wellbeing as well as findings from a psychological study that has found climate anxiety has detrimental effects in children and young people on a daily basis.

John de Pury, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK 

• Claire Murdoch CBE, National Mental Health Director, NHS England
• Dr Emma Broglia, Research Associate and Policy Coordinator, University of Sheffield
• Professor Peter Fonagy OBE, Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, UCL and Chief Executive, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London 
• Dr Paula Harrison, Director of Student Administration and Support, University of Liverpool
• Madeleine Siniscalchi, Student Partner, Evaluation of the Greater Manchester Universities Student Mental Health Service, University of Manchester

This session will give an update on the ongoing work that is continuing to progress between the NHS and universities. Our speakers will reflect on what has happened in the last 12 months and how the relationship will continue to develop moving forward.

• Professor Dawn Edge, Professor of Mental Health and Inclusivity and Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, University of Manchester
• Rhema Otache, Medical Student, University College London
• Nkasi Stoll, ESRC doctoral researcher, King’s College London, Co-Founder of Black People Talk CIC and Director of Black Student Talk
• Marion Ojua, VP Liberation & Equality, University of Exeter
• Ananya Jain, English and Art History Student, BAME Officer, University of St Andrews
• Chair: Amy Dicks, Policy Researcher, Universities UK

In this session we will hear from a mixture of perspectives; students, staff and researchers who are all tackling inequalities in mental health. How can we assure that those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are able to access support specific to their needs and culturally appropriate interventions?

John de Pury, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK

Professor Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England and President, Universities UK

• Katy Foster, Student Support and Wellbeing Business Partner, University College London
• Professor Clare Furneaux, Dean of Teaching and Learning, Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Reading
• Marcus Bagley-Hodkin, Student and OfS Transitional Mental Health Project Content Creator, University of Lincoln
• Laura Dutton, Student and OfS Transitional Mental Health Project Content Creator, University of Lincoln
• Chair: John de Pury, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK

The challenges faced by school-leavers in the wake of the pandemic make the transition into university so much harder than before. Gaps in children’s learning are likely to have an impact for years to come. This session will address what universities have been doing to find solutions.

• Elaine Boyes, Executive Director, The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory (AGCAS)
• Farimah Darbyshire, Head of Programmes and External Relations, City Mental Health Alliance (CMHA)
• Dan Sam, Vice-President, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking UK
• Chair: Susan Bright, Global Managing Partner for Diversity & Inclusion and Responsible Business, Hogan Lovells

Following on from ‘Transitions in’, the challenges faced by university-leavers in the wake of the pandemic will have also made the transition into the world of work harder. Gaps in formal learning, social interaction and the lack of opportunity for placements and internships will have made entering the workforce tough for recent graduates. This session will address what universities and employers have been doing to find solutions to create mentally healthy workplaces.

• Kylie Ebert, Director Employability and Graduate Success, Macquarie University
• Jasvinder Virdi, Student Success Lead, Symplicity

• Harriet Ruby, Marketing Manager, Symplicity

Macquarie University in Sydney has seen a 112% increase in engagement with their student services team since embarking on its partnership with Symplicity Advocate. Join us for this session to hear directly from Macquarie on their implementation of Symplicity Advocate to build student success by removing barriers and helping to normalise seeking help through a whole university approach.

• Dr Zoè Robertson, Director of Teacher Education, University of Edinburgh 
• Dr Kathleen Forbes, Consultant Clinician, Place2Be 
• Isabella De George, Campaigner, Positive Changes in Placement
• Mohamed Rahman, Deputy Director (Head of Placements), Brunel University London
• Chair: Amy Dicks, Policy Researcher, Universities UK

In this session, we will hear what universities are doing and what more needs to be done to support students while they are on placements in different sectors. From teaching to industry and healthcare, we will hear from a range of perspectives.

Hosts: Doug Little, Senior Project Manager – International Student Mental Health, University of Nottingham and Lewis Savin, International Student Project Officer, University of Nottingham 

In this networking session, you can meet colleagues and swap best practices and solutions to sector wide challenges. This discussion will focus on international students. Bring your drink of choice, turn your camera and microphone on and get settled in for a lively discussion.

John de Pury, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK

• Faye McGuinness, Director of Programmes, Education Support

• Kim Sunley, National officer for Health and Safety, UNISON

• Nicola Carter, Head of Employment Policy & Advice, UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association)

• Chair: Professor Pamela Gillies CBE FRSE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Glasgow Caledonian University

With higher education staff experiencing symptoms of poor mental health at work, this session will be dedicated to improving workplace wellbeing and will provide findings from a recent research study.

• Karen Foster, Executive Director, Data, Jisc
• Dr Monika Nangia, Director of Student and Academic Services, SOAS University of London 
• Aaron Sefi, Chief Research & Insights Officer, Kooth
• Chair: Professor Peter Francis, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Birmingham City University

This session will focus on how universities can use technology to innovate their mental health and wellbeing services. We will hear from practitioners and technology providers on how they have been using mental health technology to evolve.

• Dame Carol Black, Expert Adviser on Health and Work, Department of Health, England and author, Independent Review of Drugs
• Professor Nic Beech, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University

In this session we will hear about the independent review into drugs, undertaken by Dame Carol Black, including how students and universities have been highlighted in this review and what happens next.

John de Pury, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK