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Date Time Location
25th June 2025 08:30 - 17:00 London

 

Are you ready for the rebuild?

Join SUMS Consulting at The Venn: University Leaders Forum

25 June 2025 | The Royal Society, London

Timings:

  • 08:30 – 09:45 - Breakfast roundtables including: "Are you ready for the rebuild?"
  • 10:00 – 17:00 - Conference 
  • 17:30 – Late - The Venn Garden Party and Partner dinners

Higher education is in trouble. Institutions are on the back foot, facing economic pressure, political scrutiny and global uncertainty. So how do we respond, not just to survive, but to rebuild stronger? We need a better playbook.

That’s why SUMS Consulting is proud to sponsor and take part in The Venn: University Leaders Forum, a new kind of event bringing together senior leaders from across UK higher education to ask one fundamental question: How can we work together more effectively in defence and celebration of our sector?

About The Venn

Developed by sector leaders and partners including Wonkhe, AHUA, SUMS Consulting, Universities UK International (UUKi), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), The Royal Society and others, The Venn offers a rare space for candid, future-focused conversations, free from the constraints of traditional conference formats.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Rt Hon Greg Clark, Former Secretary of State and Executive Chair, University of Warwick Innovation District
  • Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Royal Holloway University
  • Professor Jane Norman, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Nottingham
  • Professor Tim Dunne, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Surrey
  • Professor Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of York
  • Dr Steph Harris, Incoming Director of Policy, Universities UK
  • Fran Davies, Head of Global Science, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
  • Jamie Arrowsmith, Director, Universities UK International
  • Ian Wiggins, Director of International Affairs, The Royal Society
  • And many more...

 What to expect

  • Roundtables with Vice-Chancellors tackling real-world leadership dilemmas
  • A crisis-response simulation with the FCDO, Royal Society and UUKi
  • Insights from the US: what the UK can learn from the unfolding challenges in American HE
  • And importantly, space to connect, reflect and collaborate with senior peers from across the sector

 SUMS at The Venn: "Are you ready for the rebuild?"

We’ll be hosting a focused breakfast roundtable session exploring how universities can:

  • Make strategic decisions now to navigate cuts and growth
  • Rebuild for long-term success
  • Maximise their advantage through sustainable transformation

Join us and sector colleagues as we dig into what meaningful change really looks like.

How to attend

The Venn is invitation-only and open to senior academic and professional services leaders (Deputy Director level and above, with an externally facing remit).

  • University passes are available at £495+VAT, covering the full day and evening reception
  • Feel free to share this opportunity with colleagues: they can register interest if they have not yet received an invitation