The global higher education community is set to gather at the Ahead by Bett Auditorium for a lineup of insightful talks by industry leaders, fireside chats with changemakers, and peer discussions with fellow educators on the key trends transforming the sector: from the rise of artificial intelligence to upskilling staff for the future of work. Tickets for Bett UK 2024 are available online.
Bett UK takes place at London’s ExCeL Centre from 24-26 January 2024. Bringing together more than 30,000 educators, innovators, and changemakers, it is the world’s biggest EdTech show.
Across the three days, the future of AI in higher education will take centre-stage in the Ahead by Bett Auditorium, a feature first launched in 2022. This includes a session with Dr Rose Luckin, UCL Professor and Founder of EDUCATE Ventures, on how the higher education community can use ethical AI analytics to gain a better understanding of the learning experience. Visitors will also hear from Dr Chahna Gonsalves, a lecturer in Marketing Education at King’s College London, who will discuss assessment, pedagogy, and workplace readiness in the age of generative AI.
A host of other themes at the heart of higher education will be explored at Ahead by Bett. On the first day, former Love Island contestant, entrepreneur, and campaigner Tasha Ghouri will share her experiences at school growing up as a deaf person in a fireside chat with Chegg.org Global Student Prize top 10 finalist Dr Ally Zlatar, founder of The Starving Artist. Ally will discuss her struggles with a mental health disorder, and offer insights on how the sector can better support student wellbeing. There will also be sessions on the importance of nurturing skills for the Fifth Industrial Revolution, with a focus on national policy, apprenticeships, and Lifelong Loan Entitlement.
Day two will feature a panel discussion on how innovation and leadership can be fostered among youth living under the shadow of war. It will be hosted by a team of experts: Dr Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Yana Paladiieva, Head of Projects and Programs at the Ukrainian Startup Fund; and Uliana Avtonomova, Advisor for the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports.
Award-winning international speaker and author Hayley Mulenda will speak on day three about how higher education should be redefined for the next generation, whose future jobs have yet to be invented. Elliott Lancaster MBE, entrepreneur and Chegg.org Global Student Prize top 10 finalist, and Vivine Cameron, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at the Chartered Insurance Institute, will explore universities’ approaches to attracting and supporting students from diverse backgrounds.
Case studies on leverage technology in schools will be brought to life in the Sandbox – an area of Ahead by Bett designed to help visitors evaluate the efficacy of solutions to inform future purchasing decisions. This includes a session by Dr Nina Huntemann, Chief Academic Officer at leading student-first connected learning platform Chegg, will delve into the potential for AI-enabled personalised learning assistance to help learners feel supported and learn with confidence.
James Moorhouse, Senior Content and Communications Manager at Bett, said:
“Our aim each year is to provide a truly global meeting place for educators, changemakers, and the world’s leading EdTech innovators to have inspiring exchanges and spark solutions to ensure students and schools everywhere get the most out of technology. We are excited to have such an incredible lineup of visionary speakers and EdTech experts at Ahead by Bett, who are leading the way in innovation, and can share fresh perspectives and guidance for the higher education community.
“With technology constantly transforming the education landscape, it’s imperative that diverse groups come together to learn from each other and chart the best path forward. In particular this year, we look forward to introducing our enhanced Connect @ Bett platform, which will make it easier than ever for the right people to connect with each other at the show. With the registration deadline just a few days away, I urge educators to secure their ticket so they don’t miss out on everything Bett UK 2024 has to offer.”
Elsewhere at this year’s Bett UK, world-renowned ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell DBE will kick things off by sharing her passion for promoting the arts in schools through her charity, the DDMIX Trust, and engaging attendees in the magic of dance. Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, the UK” Secretary of State for Education, will then be delivering an opening address. Afterwards, acclaimed documentary presenter Louis Theroux will be interviewing British rapper Loyle Carner about the importance of social inclusion in education. In a fireside chat, former member of England’s national football team Alex Scott MBE will discuss building resilience and tackling bias, and Baroness Floella Benjamin will talk about her time as one of Britain’s favourite children’s TV presenters.
Bett UK 2024 also promises a host of new features. This include TableTalks – an innovate new programme of peer-to-peer roundtable discussions, connecting educators and policymakers with shared topics of interest – as well as Tech User Labs, where educators can receive hands-on advice from exhibitors to help them get the most out of tech, and improve their purchasing expertise. With Bett’s brand-new digital platform Connect @ Bett, educators can identify the right EdTech solutions for their particular purchasing dilemma, and schedule one-on-one meetings with exhibitors.
The full agenda for Ahead by Bett is available online.
Bett is the biggest education technology exhibition in the world. At Bett, we bring together educators from across the entire education landscape and 600+ innovative EdTech and resource solution providers showcasing cutting-edge and impactful products and services. https://uk.bettshow.com/
