In the final episode of Talking Transformation for 2025/26, host Fiona Lennoxsmith and guests explore what genuine investment in women's leadership demands of higher education. 

Guests Charlotte Rutter (Glasgow Caledonian University), Yulia Sobol (British Council Ukraine) and Barbara Bassa (Advance HE) argue that the goal is not simply to help women adapt to existing hierarchies, but to redesign leadership itself around empathy, collaboration and authenticity. Sobol describes a new Advance HE/British Council programme launching in Ukraine this September, built for women leading universities through wartime disruption. The panel agrees that lasting culture change, not just improved representation, is the real measure of progress.

Episode 13: Women's leadership

Episode 12 of Talking Transformation brings together Professor Harriet Dunbar-Morris and Dr Helen Murphy to explore the evolving purpose of lifelong learning in higher education. 

The conversation spans terminology – with Harriet proposing "lifelong scholar" as a term that respects adult learners' multiple identities. Curriculum co-design – where both advocate genuine partnership with learners, employers and community groups rather than tokenistic consultation; and the broader purpose of learning itself. They also push back against narrowly workforce-focused approaches, arguing that universities must preserve the fuller human purpose of education – learning not simply to be productive, but to be.

Episode 12: The future of lifelong learning

In this episode of Talking Transformation, host Charles Knight speaks with Kerry-Jane Packman, chief executive of Learning on Screen, about the charity's new research report, Teach Beyond Text.

Drawing on responses from more than 1,100 post-16 students, the report finds that over 80% say film and television make learning more engaging. Kerry-Jane argues this reflects how naturally students already consume video content and how screen-based storytelling aids memory and recall in ways that text alone cannot.

The conversation also explores a persistent gap between what students want and what institutions provide. Budget pressures, staff workloads and confusion over copyright all discourage educators from embedding screen content into their teaching. Neurodivergent students and those for whom English is a second language show the greatest gains, with the findings consistently pointing to a more inclusive experience when moving image and sound are used.

Episode 11: Inclusion through moving image and sound

In part two of our discussion of lifelong learning, Fiona Lennoxsmith speaks with Professor Ang Davies, the University of Manchester's academic lead for lifelong learning. 

Ang describes how Manchester is rethinking its provision across three strands: civic and social responsibility, personal upskilling and employer-responsive programmes. Initiatives include a Bank of England-backed economics teaching project and industry co-designed micro-credentials in areas such as net zero and digital sustainability. She highlights key barriers – cost, confidence, inflexible funding, and fragmented digital infrastructure, and calls for greater credit transferability between institutions. AI-assisted personalised learning pathways and reform of the lifelong loan entitlement are identified as critical future priorities.

Episode 10: Lifelong learning part two

Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) Dean of Students Lay Yeo speaks to Advance HE's Fiona Lennoxsmith about lifelong learning in higher education. 

SUSS serves students aged 18 to 80, with 80% enrolled as working adults. Its model combines flexible, modular study, evening and weekend timetabling, hybrid learning, micro-credentials and stackable qualifications. The university also supports mid-career entrepreneurship, including a dedicated programme for over-50s, and partners closely with employers to deliver tailored upskilling courses subsidised through Singapore's SkillsFuture funding. 

Lay suggests that universities should stop merely reacting to industry demands and instead anticipate workforce needs, working alongside employers and governments to lead the conversation.

Episode 9: Lifelong learning

Episode 8 of Talking Transformation features Kane Murdoch, Head of Complaints, Appeals and Misconduct at Macquarie University, Sydney. They discuss academic integrity in higher education, moving beyond reactive approaches to student misconduct towards data-driven, proactive strategies.

Kane emphasises that academic integrity isn't solely a student issue but relates fundamentally to assessment security and academic design. He challenges the traditional focus on punishment, arguing academics should mark AI-generated work on its merits rather than seeking additional penalties.

The conversation also explores systemic challenges: outdated policies designed for smaller universities, excessive appeals processes, and the need for better integration between academic and professional services staff.

Episode 8: Academic integrity

In this episode, host Charles Knight is joined by Laura Milne, Head of Digital Education at the University of Chester to discuss the ever increasing role of technology in higher education teaching and learning.

They cover artificial intelligence, virtual learning environments and their pros and cons, as well as the role technology plays in making higher education as accessible as possible for as many different people as possible. They also discuss some of the challenges that can arise through the use of technology, such as ensuring assessments are fair and deliver the right learning outcomes for students.

Episode 7: Technology and pedagogy

In this episode of Talking Transformation, Professor Sarah Williams discusses her experience at Buckinghamshire New University when under scrutiny from the Office for Students. She discusses the importance of transparent communication with regulators, describing openness and humility as essential for constructive engagement.

Reflecting on institutional culture, she advocates for sector-wide transparency, arguing that openly sharing challenges and not just successes, enables collective growth. The conversation highlights how regulatory challenges can become transformative opportunities when approached with honesty and collaborative spirit.

Episode 6: Leading through regulatory scrutiny

This episode features host Dr Elliott Spaeth from Advance HE discussing compassionate pedagogy with Dr Claire Killingback (University of Hull) and Rosie Jones (Teesside University). 

They explore what compassion means in higher education: recognising student distress, responding proactively, supporting wellbeing, and seeing students as whole people. The conversation addresses pushback against compassion from staff worried about workload and boundaries, and discusses how institutions can embed compassion into policies and processes.

 Key themes include the importance of listening, avoiding rigid boundaries whilst maintaining professional roles, co-creating supportive frameworks with students, and extending compassion to staff as well as students.

Episode 5: Compassionate learning and teaching

This episode of Talking Transformation explores future-facing curricula in higher education, featuring Advance HE's Professor Mark O'Hara with Professor Beverly Hawkins from the University of Exeter, Dr Samantha Burvill of Swansea University and Associate Professor Chris McInerney from the University of Limerick. 

They discuss preparing students for rapidly changing work environments through both updated content and innovative teaching methods. Key themes include developing transferable skills (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity), embedding sustainability and ethics, promoting interdisciplinary learning and bridging academic-vocational divides. The panellists emphasise building "change-capable" students with growth mindsets rather than predicting specific future needs. 

Success measures should focus on student development journeys and stakeholder engagement rather than just degree outcomes. The conversation highlights ongoing curriculum transformation efforts across UK and Irish institutions.

Episode 4: Future-facing curricula

A brand new Advance HE podcast, where we'll discuss all things transformation at time when change is the new normal in higher education.

Our experts across educational excellence, leadership and governance and equality, diversity and inclusion will be joined by special guests from across the sector to help you and your institution navigate change, now and into the future.