REF 2029 Update and AI in Engineering Education
The annual PHEE-AiME Conference which will now be delivered online in a half day on the morning of Wednesday 13 May 2026.
In addition to two well balanced sessions providing the latest update on REF 2029 and recent developments on AI in Engineering Education, the Conference will incorporate the latest update on Challenges to AHEP 4 and Opportunities for AHEP5.
Full Conference Programme
All engineering colleagues at your university are welcome free of charge. Registration required.
There will be a meeting of the RA committee taking place Monday 27th April at midday.
There will be a meeting of the Inclusive Engineering Toolkit Expert Working Group Meeting on Friday 17th April 2026 from 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM . Please note this is for current members of the Expert Working Group only.
This year’s EPC Public Lecture will be delivered by one of the greatest living scientists, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell CH DBE FRS FRSE FRAS FInstP HonMRIA HonFLSWn, the astrophysicist who, among her many accolades, discovered pulsars while still a doctoral student – a breakthrough that subsequently attracted a Nobel Prize for her supervisor.
Bell Burnell has worked tirelessly to support women scientists, donating and raising millions of pounds to fund scholarships. Fittingly, she will take ‘Women in science & engineering’ as her theme.
The lecture will be hosted by the University of Strathclyde as the opening session of this year’s Engineering Academics Network Annual Congress.
You do not have to register for the whole Congress to attend the lecture, but you can do so here.
If you do register to attend Congress, you do not have to register separately for the public lecture.
EAN Congress 2026: Evolution or revolution invites delegates to explore whether incremental change in engineering education is enough to make it fit-for-purpose in the face of significant global and sectoral challenges – or whether engineering education now demands something more radical. As global challenges intensify, disciplinary boundaries blur, and AI reshapes every profession, there is a broad consensus now that engineers of the 21st century must pair technical expertise with sustainability literacy, ethical awareness and an entrepreneurial mindset. This year’s EPC Congress explores what a truly “fit‑for‑purpose” engineering education looks like – one that harnesses AI while safeguarding against its risks, embraces interdisciplinary thinking, and expands the role of active and experiential pedagogies – and critically, how we can deliver this. Through provocative presentations and discussion, the congress will examine who engineering education serves and how institutions can reimagine their role in shaping future‑ready engineers.
Join EPC’s resident data expert, Stella Fowler, for a one-hour webinar exploring the newly released UCAS applications and admissions data for 2025/26 using our exclusive member-only Data explorer.
Each year, UCAS publishes a wealth of data—so we’ve extracted the key engineering trends for you. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights with ease.