UKAT offers conferences, webinars and other events throughout the year, both online and in various locations around the UK. These events provide professional development opportunities for personal tutors and academic advisors who are invested in helping students achieve academic success.
The UKAT Annual Conference is the major event of the year and provides an opportunity to learn in general sessions from experts in the field, gain knowledge and review best practices with colleagues in concurrent sessions, and participate in interactive workshops. The variety of learning formats also may include poster sessions, exhibitor presentations, and formal and informal networking opportunities.
Upcoming Events
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From Transition to Transformation: Using Memes to Support the Student Learning Journey
Thursday 18 September 2025, 14:00 - Thursday 18 September 2025, 15:30
OnlineHelen Tidy & Joanne Irving-Walton, Teesside University
In this session Dr Helen Tidy and Dr Joanne Irving-Walton will discuss the use of memes in personal tutoring. Meme-making is a low-stakes, entertaining and creative way to allow personal tutees to express their emotions – be it as they enter University or while transitioning through their studies. This talk will discuss how memes can be used to enhance tutor communication, act as a collaborative group activity or allow for reflection on a student’s learning journey as well as introducing you to how to make and share memes.
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In Good Company: What Can Mentoring Do For You
Thursday 16 October 2025, 14:00 - Thursday 16 October 2025, 15:30
OnlineGavin Farber, Jennifer VanDeWoestyne
This presentation will highlight the benefits and challenges of mentoring relationships. It will provide important and helpful information if you are interested in starting a mentoring program or entering into a mentoring relationship. Advisor/tutor mentoring experiences will be highlighted whether created through participating in institutional or association wide mentoring opportunities. Information may be applied to programs for professionals as well as students. Tips for establishing successful mentoring opportunities will be shared to show the audience how easy it is to find a mentor. Join the session to hear how mentoring partnerships can be assigned and begin quickly or develop over many years, sometimes beginning very informally and growing to positive formal mentorships.
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Times Higher Education Student Success UK & Ireland 2025
Wednesday 12 November 2025 - Thursday 13 November 2025
ICC, EdinburghWe are delighted to be a partner of Times Higher Education’s Student Success UK&IE 2025, taking place on 12-13 November at the ICC, Edinburgh.
Designed for higher education professionals across student engagement, academic success, careers services, teaching, learning, well-being and student analytics, the event unites leading voices from universities and industry to showcase impactful examples of collaboration as well as innovative approaches to promoting success at every stage of the student journey.
You can now discover the agenda and take a look at what’s on across this two-day event, including keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and case studies across three content tracks focusing on:
- Teaching and learning
- Student support
- Retention, engagement and impact
Super early bird tickets are available until 25 July, where you can save an additional 30% on tickets with code UKAT-30: https://www.timeshighered-events.com/live-ukie-2025/page/4422227/book-tickets?promo=UKAT-30&utm_source=ukat&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ss-ukie-25&utm_content=promo
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UKAT Annual Conference 2026
Monday 13 April 2026, 08:00 - Tuesday 14 April 2026, 15:00
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UKSpotlight on Student Futures
Higher education institutions today face tremendous complexity and uncertainty. Within such a time of immense and interconnected challenges locally, nationally and globally, universities have opportunities for systemic transformation addressing current challenges in higher education, such as funding, competition for students, the decline in student engagement on campus, increasing mental health concerns, the rise of artificial intelligence and the role of personal tutoring and academic advising to meet student needs and improve student outcomes in a changing world.
This conference offers a timely opportunity for invaluable dialogue on the role that personal tutoring and academic advising can play in creating possible liberated and empowering futures for students in higher education. The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Spotlight on Student Futures’, reflects our commitment to empowering students to achieve their full potential through dedicated personal tutoring and advising, broadening their horizons, fostering a sense of belonging and feelings of mattering, supporting mental health and wellbeing, and continuation and graduate outcomes.
This conference aims to bring together students, professional services, educators, personal tutors and advisors, researchers and scholars, those in senior strategic leadership positions, and policymakers to explore the challenges HE institutions are grappling with, share insights, exchange visions, and identify action-oriented solutions.
Join us for an inspiring co-learning and thinking sessions that foster engagement and collaboration through thought-provoking:
- Keynotes: Leading higher education experts will share their knowledge and insights into the role of advising and tutoring in shaping Student Futures.
- Presentations: Experts will share in-depth insights and practical strategies based on their extensive experience, with dedicated time for audience thoughts and questions.
- Interactive Workshops: Participatory sessions will encourage participants to explore new approaches, reflect on shared experiences, and develop actionable strategies and solutions collaboratively.
- Discussion Panels: Facilitated by leading scholars, will offer authentic dialogic discussions of key challenges and opportunities in advising and tutoring with interactive Q&A.
- Immersive Interactive Simulation using CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment): Participants will immerse and respond to students’ real-life situations/lived experiences in a safe simulated learning environment.
Events in italic typeface are not provided by UKAT but are 3rd party events which may be of interest to UKAT members