Reinventing Higher Education
Higher Education 4.0: Embracing Science, AI, and Lifelong Learning for a Human-Centered Future
South Kensington Campus | Imperial College London
London, United Kingdom
October 22-24, 2025
Conference Day 1: Wednesday, october 22nd
Welcome remarks by Peter Haynes, Provost and Deputy President of Imperial College, Santiago Íñiguez, President of IE University and James Mann, Managing Director of Financial Times Professionals.
Redefining Excellence: Science, AI and Inclusivity in the Age of Higher Education 4.0
Opening Keynote: Dr. Jess Wade, British physicist and Royal Society University Research Fellow at Imperial College London.
Panel 1: Science for Humanity: Universities Tackling Global Challenges
INTRODUCTORY KEYNOTE
- Muhammad Al-Saggaf, President, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals)
Building a Knowledge Society: Aligning AI and Innovation with National Purpose
Moderator
- Andrew Jack, Education Editor, Financial Times, United Kingdom
Speakers
- Muhammad Al-Saggaf; President, KFUPM, (Saudi Arabia)
- Daniel Jutras, President, Université de Montréal (Canada)
- Marianne Thellersen, Senior Vice President, Technical University of Denmark
- Evelyn Welch, President, University of Bristol (UK)
- Zheng Xinye, Vice President, Renmin University (China)
Panel 2: Insights from Industry
MODERATOR
- Andrew Jack, Education Editor, Financial Times, United Kingdom
SPEAKERS
- Isabel Berwick, journalist and editor of Working IT, Financial Times.
- Guy Champniss, IE Business School and Headspring Executive Development Professor
- Anila DeHart, Future of Work Strategist (formerly Deloitte Global Managing Director)
Welcome Drinks Reception
Imperial College Business School, hosted by Dean Peter Todd.
Conference Day 2: Thursday, October 23rd
Morning Keynote
Deborah Prentice, Vice Chancellor, University of Cambridge
“Science with Intent: Shaping Institutions for a Changing World”
Panel 3: The Ethics of AI in Personalized Education
Speakers
- Ahmad Hasnah, President, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar)
- Hao LIU, Executive Dean, School of Global Governance and School of Management, Beijing Institute of Technology (China)
- Carlos Ivan Simonsen, President, Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brasil)
- Michael Spence, President & Provost, University College London (UK)
Moderator
Anne McElvoy, Senior Editor, Politico
Panel 4: Equity and Global Access to Education
Speakers
- Faith Abiodun, Executive Director, United World Colleges (UWC)
- Baroness Usha Prashar CBE, independent member of the House of Lords (UK)
- Susanna Kempe, CEO, Laidlaw Foundation
- Gonzalo Garland, Executive Vice President, IE Foundation
Moderator
Chris Havergal, Editor of Times Higher Education
Panel 5: Lifelong Learning for a Fluid Workforce
Speakers
- Nelson Baker, Dean for Strategy at the College of Lifetime Learning, Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- Lucas Grosman, President, Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina)
- Mikael Lindström, Deputy President, KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)
Emma McCoy, Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education), LSE (UK)
- Martin Rodriguez, General Manager of IE Lifelong Learning & Digital Learning, IE University (Spain)
Moderator
Matt Symonds, Chief Editor, BlueSky Thinking
Panel 6: AI+X: Rethinking Education for the Unknown Future
Speakers
- Paolo Boccardelli, Rector, Luiss University (Italy)
- Jalal Charaf, Chief Digital & AI Officer, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Morocco)
- Jayna Devani, Education Lead, International, OpenAI
Ben Nelson, Chairman and CEO at Minerva Project (US)
- Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President, King’s College London (UK)
Moderator
Kenneth Cukier, Deputy Executive Editor, The Economist
Lunch Break
Panel 7: Geopolitics & Mobility: Universities Without Borders
Speakers
- Thomas Estermann, Director, Governance, Funding and Public Policy Development, European University Association
- David Go, Vice President and Associate Provost, University of Notre Dame (US)
- Diego Quiroga, Rector, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador)
Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Royal Holloway (UK)
Moderator
Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Times Higher Education
Panel 8: Academic-Industry Ecosystems
Speakers
- Juan Pablo Murra, Rector, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)
- Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean, IE School of Science & Technology (Spain)
- Mikkel Sorensen, Managing Director and Founder, DTU SkyLab (Denmark)
Moderator
Markus Perkmann, Vice-Dean and Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Imperial College London
Panel 9: Beyond Degrees: Modular Learning and the Future of Education
Speakers
- Jessica Turner, CEO of QS Quacquarelli Symonds
- Christopher Persson, Executive Chair & Co-Founder, LIS (The London Interdisciplinary School) (UK)
- Federico Valdés, Rector, Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile)
- Mathias Falkenstein, Director of Higher Education Development, Studyportals
- Cynthia Bowles, Director Digital Learning, IE University (Spain)
Moderator
Heather Haseley, Managing Director, Institute for Extended Learning (Imperial College)
Conference Closing Keynote & Remarks
Closing Keynote
Closing remarks by Santiago Iñiguez & Peter Haynes
Closing Dinner by the Provost (Speakers and Moderators Only)
Conference Day 3: Friday, October 24th
Imperial Innovation Tours
1- Royal College of Surgeons of England. An off-campus visit.
The RCS is based in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in the heart of London. Its Education Centre is a sector leading facility making use of VR, AR and Extended Reality. The centre is used by surgeons from around the world. They also have an excellent museum, The Hunterian, on site.
Venue:
The Royal College of Surgeons of England — Royal College of Surgeons
Hunterian Museum | Book Advance Ticket
The visit will be hosted by Dr Kenny Webster, Head of Learning Operations. You will be able to look around the Education Centre and see how technology is applied in surgical training. At the time of the visit there will be a Basic Surgical Skills course running in an adjacent space so you will be able to see the juxtaposition of high technology with hands on training in skills such as suturing and wound cleaning. The visit will last a maximum of 60 minutes giving you the opportunity to visit the RCS’s Hunterian Museum and take in one of London’s moist famous green spaces, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, which is routinely used as a film set.
2 – IDEA Lab
Alien Encounter: A Hybrid VR Escape Room for Leadership, Teamwork and Communication
The IDEA Lab led by Heather Mack. This event will be hosted in the Executive Education suite on the South Kensington Campus.
In this 90-minute session, you’ll have the chance to experience our hybrid VR escape room in action. In this fast-paced, in-person, team-based scenario, one participant is “abducted” into a virtual alien ship, while their teammates — assigned specific roles such as Leader and Analyst — stay grounded, using physical manuals to guide them through a series of logic and communication challenges.
Designed to develop core skills in leadership, communication, and collaboration, the experience places participants in time-pressured roles that mirror the realities of effective team-based problem solving. It’s an engaging, low-risk way to practise high-stakes collaboration in a memorable setting.
3 – Data Observatory
Data Observatory (on campus)
The Data Observatory (DO) is the largest open-source data observatory in Europe. Opened in November 2015, the DO provides an opportunity for academics and industry to visualise data in a way that uncovers new insights and promotes the communication of complex data sets and analysis in an immersive and multi-dimensional environment.
Designed, built by, and housed within the Data Science Institute, the DO enables decision makers to derive new implications and actions from interrogating data sets in an innovative, unique environment. It was built in partnership with KPMG.
Media Sessions and Networking & 1:1 Meetings