
The Venn:
University
Leaders
Forum
The Royal Society
25.06.25
geopolitical turbulence - the culture wars - economic growth - university financial crisis - reputational damage - public distrust - declining social license media attacks - civic and place - global perceptions - future trends - stakeholder engagement - student expectation - staff dissatisfaction - brand decay - failure to meet student expectations - closing borders - migration concerns - cross-subsidies - Artificial Intelligence - changing nature of work - loss of autonomy - sector contraction - political playbooks targeting universities - disconnect with our audience - existential challenge
geopolitical turbulence - the culture wars - economic growth - university financial crisis - reputational damage - public distrust - declining social license media attacks - civic and place - global perceptions - future trends - stakeholder engagement - student expectation - staff dissatisfaction - brand decay - failure to meet student expectations - closing borders - migration concerns - cross-subsidies - Artificial Intelligence - changing nature of work - loss of autonomy - sector contraction - political playbooks targeting universities - disconnect with our audience - existential challenge
Higher education is in trouble. We are on the back foot and retreating.
So how do we respond?
What do we do about it?
We need a better playbook…
Speakers

Inspire - inform - Interact - Innovate - Respond - Reflect - Relax
A new forum for university leaders who face outwards…
…in defence and celebration of higher education.
About the forum
Who should attend?
Taking place at The Royal Society, London, UK on 25.06.25, The Venn: University Leaders Forum has been developed by Favier Ltd and Assemble Events in collaboration with our friends and partners across UK higher education.
The forum is open to senior university staff with an external-facing role working across the spectrum of professional services, as well as engaged academic leadership.
Uniting the many tribes of university professional services – be this marketing and recruitment, research and innovation, global engagement, communications and stakeholder engagement, strategy and operations, business engagement and employability to advancement - is a shared responsibility for the stewardship of university reputation.
Once a year, The Venn: University Leaders Forum aims to convene discussion, debate and engagement between these leaders united by a single question.
How can we work together more effectively in defence and celebration of our sector?
Initially, participation is by invitation, nomination or via registration of interest.
The content for our inaugural programme will major on discussion, debate, interactive sessions and informal exchange – with broadcast restricted only to the most exceptional, challenging and inspiring speakers.
Working with partners such as Wonkhe, our schedule includes the opportunity to hear sometimes uncomfortable truths about how our sector is perceived by those outside it, international perspectives from the US and beyond, an interactive geopolitical crisis-response exercise in partnership with leaders from the FCDO, Royal Society and UUKi and a series of ‘from the VC’s desk’ roundtables.
In short, it will not be your average higher education event.
The Location
The Venn: University Leaders Forum will take place in The Royal Society, London, UK