This year’s EAN Access and Admissions Forum brings together leaders, policymakers, and higher education specialists to examine one of the sector’s most urgent challenges, the financial sustainability of engineering education. With demand for skilled engineers growing and universities under increasing financial strain, this event explores how institutions can balance mission and money in an access and admissions context, while adapting to shifting policy, funding, and recruitment landscapes.
This event is designed for university leaders, faculty, admissions professionals, and policymakers. Whether you are managing recruitment pressures, planning for the LLE, or seeking strategies to safeguard engineering provision, you will leave with fresh perspectives and actionable ideas.
On National Engineering Day, this event offers a timely opportunity to engage with peers and thought leaders on the future of engineering education. Through keynote insights, panel debates, workshops, and networking, attendees will leave better equipped to navigate financial pressures while ensuring engineering continues to play its vital role in the UK’s future.
The day opens with a keynote on the structural underfunding of domestic engineering students, highlighting the paradox of growth deepening deficits and the risks of over-reliance on international enrolments. A panel discussion follows, debating the inevitability of international fee subsidies, the role of immigration policy, and the future of global recruitment strategies.
Mid-morning, a scenario planning session will unpack the tensions between access, participation, and sustainable student number planning. After lunch and networking, an interactive workshop will dive into the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and its implications for engineering. Participants will explore how modularisation and funding changes could reshape course design, participation, and progression. The day concludes with a discussion on non-traditional admissions and the need for bold thinking to protect access while maintaining financial stability.
Our speakers:
The programme features a wide range of expert voices from higher education leadership, policy, and industry. They bring experience across finance, admissions, international recruitment, and engineering programme delivery, offering both strategic insights and practical examples of adaptation in a challenging environment.
We are delighted to welcome Professor Brian Bell, Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC); Andy Forbes, Executive Director of the Lifelong Education Institute; Professor Annabel Kiernan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education & Student Experience at Goldsmiths, University of London; Richard Puttock, Head of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics, University of Leeds and previously Director for Data, Foresight & Analysis, OfS; plus more…
You can learn more about each of our speakers in the Speakers tab.
Patricia Ashman is Associate Head of School for Mechanical, Aerospace and Automotive Engineering, and Associate Professor in Mechanical Simulation and Analysis at Coventry University.
Her role involves leading on recruitment and marketing of engineering programmes, collaborating with industry, and helping prepare engineering graduates to be workplace-ready.
She has worked globally in sectors including automotive, rail and steel before moving into academics, and her interests include future transport mobility and ethical considerations in autonomous vehicles.
Professor Brian Bell is Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), providing advice to the UK government on migration policy.
Professor of Economics and Head of the Department of Economics at King’s Business School, King’s College London. He joined King’s in January 2017, coming from roles including Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, and earlier positions at the LSE, IMF, and the Bank of England.
He is also currently a Trustee of the Nuffield Foundation.
His research focuses on labour economics, especially wage determination, inequality, intergenerational mobility, the economics of crime, and the impact of immigration on the labour market.
He currently serves as
Andy Forbes is the Executive Director of the Lifelong Education Institute and on the Advisory Board of HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute).
He is also an Apprenticeship Champion for UCAS, Chair of Governors at Barking & Dagenham College, a Board Member of Manchester Metropolitan University, and a Trustee of the educational charity Ambitious about Autism.
Emily Hookway is a recent graduate of TEDI-London with a degree in Global Design Engineering. As a strong supporter of student voice, she is a member of the IET (Institution of Engineering & Technology) Student Panel, where she contributes insights from her experience in project-based engineering education and advocates for student representation in professional bodies.
Annabel Kiernan is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education & Student Experience at Goldsmiths, University of London. She is a political scientist with over 30 years in higher education, leading initiatives around transforming teaching & learning, advancing inclusion, and enhancing student success. She also oversees Goldsmiths’ academic portfolio, student experience, and the development and progression of academic staff.
Richard Puttock is Head of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics at the University of Leeds, where he leads the development and use of data and analytics to support strategic decision-making—especially around admissions, student success, planning, and institutional performance.
Before joining Leeds, Richard had a long career in national higher education regulation and funding bodies: he spent nearly 30 years in analytical roles with HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England), transitioned into the Office for Students (OfS) when it replaced HEFCE, and his final role there was Director for Data, Foresight & Analysis. In that capacity he was responsible for OfS’s relationship with HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), among other oversight and data-strategy duties
Costs:
Tickets are £59 for members and £149 for non-members.
We are committed to accessibility and do not want cost to prevent participation. We’ve kept fees for this event to a minimum, but if you’re a member and the cost is a barrier, please get in touch, as we may be able to cover additional places. To enquire, please email Johnny Rich, EPC Chief Executive.
Creativity, connection, and collaboration come to life in London Institute for Healthcare Engineering’s HE’s landmark building. LiHE is embedded within the campus of St Thomas’ Hospital, opposite Westminster.
Underground – The nearest tube stations are:
Westminster (Circle, District, Jubilee)
Waterloo (Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, and Waterloo & City line)
Lambeth North (Bakerloo line)
Westminster is a 10-minute walk, Lambeth North is a 10-15 minute walk, and Waterloo is a 15 minute walk.
Mainline stations – the nearest mainline stations are:
Waterloo station – 10-15 minutes. Exit towards the South Bank / St Thomas’ Hospital side, then walk across Westminster Bridge Road down to Lambeth Palace Road.
Waterloo East – 12-18 minutes. Walk through the connecting passages into Waterloo main station (2–3 minutes). From Waterloo, it’s about a 10–15 minute walk across to Lambeth Palace Road (by St Thomas’ Hospital / LIHE).
By car, taxi, bus:
Car – If travelling by car or taxi, ask to be dropped off on Lambeth Palace Road, near St Thomas’ Hospital / LIHE. The address is 100 Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7AR.
Bus – By bus, there are several routes serving this area:
Buses which stop on Lambeth Palace Road (close to LIHE) include the 77 and C10.
Other nearby routes include 12, 148, 159, 211, 453 (stop at Westminster Bridge Road), etc.
Taxi – Taxis can drop off and pick up passengers directly on Lambeth Palace Road, which is the main access route to LIHE. This road is also used for drop-offs at St Thomas’ Hospital, ensuring easy access to LIHE. There is a designated drop-off point located to the left before reaching the entrance barriers. Most black cabs are wheelchair accessible.
Allow extra time if coming by road in busy hours, due to traffic around central London and near the hospital.
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