HE Connect 26 conference programme

Let’s make digital in higher education better

The conference is tailored for digital leaders in higher education and features 2 packed days with a carefully curated mixture of talks, workshops, activities and world class facilitators, thought-provokers, speakers and session leads.

We have found the perfect venue for this - The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy.

Unlike many other conferences, this one is not about speakers talking endlessly about their own work. Rather than being talked at, this is your conference for active participation and connecting with your peers with the goal to move things forward.

Programme
Tuesday, October 6

7:30 - 8:30: Morning walk

Kick off the conference with a morning walk through Edinburgh's historical landmarks.

8:30 - 9:30: Breakfast and registration

Join us early, get the conversation started, make some new friends and enjoy some freshly brewed coffee and tea.

9:30 - 9:45: Welcome & Opening

by our host Janus Boye, Boye & Co

More session details coming shortly.

More session details coming shortly.

More session details coming shortly.

11:00 - 11:30 Coffee & networking

More session details coming shortly.

More session details coming shortly.

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 Roundtables

Come join 2 x 25 minutes of informal roundtable discussions to get answers on your specific questions or help others by sharing your expert knowledge.
Each table has no more than 10 attendees and is assigned a specific topic and moderator.
First come first served: you don’t get to see who’s at the table until you get there.

After the initial 25 minutes are up, you get to pick another table for the next 25 minutes of discussion.

More information coming soon

2:30 - 3:00 Coffee & networking

More session details coming shortly.

More session details coming shortly.

4:30 - 5:00 Coffee & networking

5:00 - 6:00 Lightning Talks

As the name suggests, lightning talks give speakers a limited amount of time to make their presentation – around 10 minutes. They may or may not include slides.

Because lightning talks are brief, it requires the speaker to make their point clearly and rid the presentation of non-critical information. This, in turn, helps keep the attention of the audience. It also means many ideas can be presented in a short amount of time.

Talks:

• TBA with Piero Tintori (IE), CEO at Terminalfour & BetterExaminations

• TBA with Gavin Colborne (UK), Managing Director at Little Forest

• More coming soon
  

6:30 - 10:00 Social event

Join us for an informal networking dinner.

Wednesday, October 7

7:00 Morning Run

We meet together for a relaxed 25 minute run.

8:30 - 9:30 Breakfast and networking

Join us early, get the conversation started, reflect on what you’ve already learned and enjoy some freshly brewed coffee and tea.

9:30 - 9:45: Morning welcome

A brief welcome by Janus Boye and perhaps a bonus lightning talk.

More session details coming shortly.

10:45 - 11:00 Coffee & networking

More session details coming shortly.

More session details coming shortly.

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch

More session details coming shortly.

A brief interactive wrap-up of the two days. Join us for key lessons learned, big questions for 2026, perhaps a few answers and what happens next.

2.45 - 3:00 Goodbyes and see you next year!

Thanks for joining us. Continue the conversation over a cup of coffee or tea before leaving Edinburgh.