Shaping Tomorrow's Universities: Highlights from Insight Day 2025

On Wednesday, 21st May 2025, partners and colleagues from across the UK higher education sector gathered for the annual Insight Day hosted in London. This year’s event offered a unique blend of both UK domestic and international insights from sector leaders and students themselves.  

Presentations included an exploration of trends from the 36,000 student reviews collected in preparation for the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), guidance on how the higher education sector should position itself on a global stage, and insights on the power of peer-to-peer engagement to drive recruitment strategy. The conference concluded with the much-anticipated student panel and an expert panel of sector thought leaders. The day conference preceded the WUSCAs, hosted on the same evening, to celebrate the top universities in the UK as voted for by students themselves. 

After a brief introduction by Insight Day chair, Aaron Porter, Sebastian Gordon, Director of Communications at Universities UK, took to the stage to present on how the higher education sector can build a stronger and more resilient future. Drawing parallels to the railway sector, Sebastian highlighted the importance of changing negative public perceptions about the higher education sector. He noted that the public is losing faith in the graduate premium and that there is a concerning belief that universities are primarily driven by economic self-interest. He urged institutions to take bold, disciplined and collective action, and to continuously showcase the many benefits the sector offers the country.  

Simon Emmett, Chief Partner Officer IDP Education, CEO IDP UK and Ireland, was up next offering a global perspective on the state of the UK’s higher education sector. Turning the audience’s attention to how the global higher education market is more competitive than ever, Simon said that it’s crucial the sector adapts to meet evolving student expectations. He referenced key insights from IDP’s Emerging Futures 7 research, including that career development and education quality are most valued among prospective students making international higher education choices.  

Moving onto insights from the WUSCAs 2025 review cycle, Camilla King, Director of Client Partnerships UK at IDP UK, and Amandeep Aullakh, Associate Head of Client Partnerships, UK Domestic, IDP UK, took a deep dive into the results of the 36,000+ student reviews collected for this year’s WUSCAs. Offering particularly optimistic sentiments, they shared that this year’s student reviews reflected a record high in student satisfaction. 

Following on was an inspiring presentation by Clair Hamilton, Deputy Director, Marketing and Student Recruitment at The University of Sheffield, on how The University of Sheffield made the most of winning University of the Year at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards in 2024. She explained how her team focused on external and internal engagement across social media and advertising banners, at open days, and beyond. Text displayed on some of their banners included: Chosen by Students University of the Year. They also asked students who submitted reviews to share their stories. Their campaigns translated to positive sentiment and pride across the university and increased bookings to open days and offer holder days, among other factors.  

Moving onto a new topic, Emma Bridge, Director of Marketing (Domestic B2C) at IDP, and Jon Montgomerie, Associate Head of Client Success UK at IDP, presented on the impact of financial education on student decision making, highlighting the lack of financial planning among prospective students and the misconceptions about the true cost of university. They then introduced a new cost-of-living calculator, launched earlier this year by Whatuni, which helps students to gain a realistic view of what their expenses will be at university.  

After a delicious lunch and chance to network, delegates returned for an afternoon packed with student insights. Presenting on peer-to-peer engagement and connecting with tomorrow’s students were Emily Bell, Head of Undergraduate Marketing at the University of Liverpool, George Oleson, CEO and Founder at the Ambassador Platform, and Kyle Campbell, Founder, Managing Director at Education Marketer. Key insights included how prospective students prioritise connection with current students to gain expertise and trust, why responsiveness on university social channels is crucial, and what institutions can do to elevate their students’ voices.  

Next was the much-anticipated student panel comprised of five students from universities across the UK. Chaired by Aaron, the panel shared their views on how important it was for them to talk to current students when they made their higher education choices, whether the university experience offered value for money, what made for successful open day experiences, and whether they ever considered apprenticeships. One of the students said, “The student experience is the biggest driver when deciding where to study.” Most of the students agreed that institutions should publicise local part-time job opportunities more and that the helpfulness and attitudes of current students at open days can have a big impact on decision-making.  

For the final session, sector leaders took to the stage for the expert panel. Also chaired by Aaron, the panel comprised Professor Diana Beech, Director of the Finsbury Institute & Assistant Vice-President for Policy and Government Affairs, Harry Anderson, Deputy Director for Policy and Global Engagement at Universities UK International, Charlotte Renwick, Director, Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment at Aston University, and Rachel MacSween, Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement at IDP UK. They shared their insights on the current state of the UK’s higher education sector, whether institutions are compromising quality in exchange for getting students through the door, and the importance of post-study work and part-time job opportunities.  

It was a fantastic day of connections and learning. Delegate Dan Grossman, Head of Media at Hunterlodge Advertising, said he attended the conference to network and gain an understanding of the hot topics currently in higher education. He particularly found the student panel enlightening and the fact that student decision making is often predominantly emotionally driven.  

Stay up to date with upcoming events and read our news release for more details on the Whatuni Student Choice Awards.