University of Worcester Hosts a Series of Talks at this Year’s Hay Festival

Hay Festival

The Hay Festival takes place in the picturesque market town of Hay on Wye, Wales, over 11 days from May 26th and June 5th.

The University of Worcester series of talks begins on Friday, May 27th with a talk at 1pm centred around the future of Higher Education in the UK.

Titled ‘Universities are losing the culture war: How should higher education become fit for the future?’, the talk will explore why in recent times universities have fallen out of favour with Government ministers and the media, and what can the sector do to prove its worth and help the nation in the recovery from the pandemic and beyond.

The panel will consist of the University of Worcester’s Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor David Green CBE DL, Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive of London Higher, and Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation. It will be Chaired by Jane Britton, Director of Communications and External Affairs at the University.

On Thursday, June 2nd at 1pm, the University will host a talk titled ‘Preventing and responding to student suicide'. Building on from the recent publication of a book of the same title, the talk will see experts discuss how education settings can help to tackle the issue of student suicide.

The panel features Rosie Tressler OBE, Chief Executive of Student Minds, Professor Jo Smith, Emeritus Professor at the University of Worcester, Nic Streatfield, Deputy Director of Student Services at the University of East London, and will be chaired by the University of Worcester’s Acting Pro Vice Chancellor Students, Dr Tim Jones.

Finally, the University will host a third talk on Friday, June 3rd at 11.30am exploring inclusion in the classroom.

The panel of speakers will explore how schools can cater for all children. The panel includes Worcester MP and Schools Minister, Robin Walker, Birmingham Poet Laureate and Assistant Headteacher, Casey Bailey, University of Worcester graduate, Alex Giles, along with the University's Rebecca Foster MBE and Lerverne Barber, co-authors of Physical Education for Young People with Disabilities, a handbook that supports teachers and trainee teachers to be more inclusive in their practice when planning and teaching PE.

For tickets to any of the events please visit the Hay Festival website at www.hayfestival.org