Over 500 staff and students attend Students at the Heart Conference 2023

Over 500 professional services staff, academic staff and students, attended the two-day Students at the Heart Conference which saw more than 200 students and staff delivering 70 plus sessions, workshops and lightning talks.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power, addressed the LJMU community at the close of the conference in the Student Life Building. He said: “Students at the Heart has been a huge opportunity to bring everyone together to recognise and celebrate all of the work at our university.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to our keynote speakers Dr Michelle Morgan and Gareth Dixon and to all the presenters and organisers for a tremendous event over the past two days.” 

Those who attended Students at the Heart were invited to a variety of sessions over the two days – everything from AI to alumni - including two keynote speeches from Dr Michelle Morgan (University of East London): In Search of the Perfect Student and alumni Gareth Dixon: An LJMU alumni family from IM Marsh to the Bicentenary.

Global Partners were also invited to attend the event with the International Team hosting a forum for partners from across the world, including Malaysia, Pakistan and China.

Other points of interest at the event included the We are more than one story. What’s yours? inter-disciplinary exhibition using creative methods to share the stories of people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and a Bicentenary celebration room with archival material from LJMU’s rich history. Within the room staff were asked to sign how long they’d been at LJMU with a total of 2,886 years studying and working at LJMU among the attendees.

A charity bake sale was also held raising over £282 for local charity Claire House Hospice.

The two-day conference is the second Students at the Heart Conference; a cross-university event organised by The Teaching and Learning Academy and Organisational Development Team, that brings teaching and learning, professional services, and students into one combined event. With 2023 marking our Bicentenary, this year’s theme was ‘LJMU always ahead of our time’.