Keynote address at 2010 conference

The student perspective on the challenges ahead for the UK higher education system

In a UKCLE first, Aaron Porter’s keynote address at the 2010 conference was broadcast live.

• View the video of the session, including the Q&A, in the window below or watch it on vimeo.
• Read Paul Maharg’s blog post on the address and Michael Bromby’s comments on the feedback issue.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Aaron Porter, Vice President (Higher Education) at the National Union of Students (NUS). Aaron’s address examined the importance of the learner voice and the student perspective on a number of the key challenges facing the UK higher education system, including the introduction of a new quality assurance framework, the independent fees review and continued questions over the shape and size of UK higher education. He also shared findings from the NUS/HSBC Student Experience Research and analysed how student perceptions and opinions of their higher education experience are changing.

UKCLE 2010 conference Aaron Porter’s keynote address from ukcle on Vimeo.

About Aaron

Aaron is serving his second term as Vice President (Higher Education) for the NUS, where he is responsible for leading representation and campaigns for UK students in higher education. Aaron is also a non-executive board director for the Office of the Independent Adjudicator and the European Students’ Union, and a member of the Academic Council of the Higher Education Academy, the National Student Survey Steering Group and the Burgess Implementation Steering Group.

A graduate in English from the University of Leicester, Aaron spent two years as a sabbatical officer and trustee of the students union there. During this time he was the Deputy Chair (Communication) and a Board Member for NUS Services, the commercial arm of the NUS. He also founded and was elected as the first Chair of Unions94, formed by the student unions of the 1994group of universities, and chaired the Student Loans Company Student Consultative Group. As a student, Aaron was editor of The Ripple, the student newspaper for the University of Leicester.

Last Modified: 16 August 2010