| Event | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥂 | New Year's Day Bank Holiday | 1 January 2026 | Annual start with closures, goal-setting for new portfolio year. |
| 🤖 | Artificial Intelligence Symposium | 10 February 2026 | Virtual symposium on AI in teaching and learning. |
| 💼 | Employability Symposium | 10 March 2026 | Embedding employability in curricula. |
| 🔯 | Good Friday Bank Holiday | 3 April 2026 | Easter prelude holiday. |
| 🥚 | Easter Monday Bank Holiday | 6 April 2026 | Spring break extension. |
| 📋 | Personal Development Course for External Examiners | 29 April 2026 | Virtual modules for examiners. |
| 🧠 | Mental Wellbeing in HE Conference | 6 May 2026 | Strategies for staff and student wellbeing in Liverpool. |
| 🌿 | Early May Bank Holiday | 4 May 2026 | Bank holiday pause. |
| 🏆 | Association of National Teaching Fellows Symposium | 12 May 2026 | Two-day event in Newcastle for fellows. |
| 🤝 | Inclusive Pedagogy Symposium | 19 May 2026 | Virtual day on inclusive practices. |
| 🌤️ | Spring Bank Holiday | 25 May 2026 | Extended weekend break. |
| 🎓 | Teaching and Learning Conference Day 1 | 30 June 2026 | Flagship event in Sheffield. |
| 🏝️ | Summer Bank Holiday | 31 August 2026approximate | End of summer transition. |
| 🩺 | Healthcare Educators NET Conference | 2 December 2026 | Virtual networking for healthcare educators. |
| 🏛️ | Governance Conference | 8 December 2026 | London event for governors and executives. |
| ❄️ | Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Festive closure. |
| 📦 | Boxing Day | 28 December 2026substitute | Extended holiday. |
| 🌐 | International Lifelong Learning Symposium | 21 May 2026 | Virtual global event. |
| 🚀 | Academic Leaders Survival Series | 20 May 2026 | Prioritisation workshop. |
| 📞 | Advance HE Clerks and Secretaries Network | 13 May 2026 | London networking day. |
Are you planning on applying to Advance HE next year? Then you need to know the important dates and deadlines for the admissions process at Advance HE. You can check them out below…
| Event | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📄 | Fellowship Application Builder Cohort 3 Opens | 15 October 2025 | Start of preparation for direct fellowship applications to Advance HE, key for Associate to Principal Fellow recognition. |
| ⏰ | Teaching and Learning Conference 2026 Registration Deadline | 25 November 2025approximate | Final deadline for early bird bookings to the flagship event. |
| 🥇 | Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence Nominations Open | 15 January 2026approximate | Entry point for CATE awards recognising team teaching impact. |
| 👑 | Principal Fellowship Review Panel Submission | 1 March 2026 | Rolling but key window for senior leadership recognition. |
| 🚪 | Aurora Leadership Programme Applications Close | 1 April 2026approximate | Deadline for women leaders' development cohort. |
| 🔒 | Governance Conference Registration Ends | 15 November 2026 | Last chance for governance professionals. |
| 💉 | Healthcare NET Conference Early Bird Deadline | 1 September 2026approximate | Discounted registration for healthcare educators. |
Advance HE, a leading UK organisation dedicated to enhancing teaching, learning, and leadership in higher education, structures its activities around a dynamic calendar of professional development opportunities rather than traditional university semesters. This calendar serves as a vital planning tool for educators, leaders, researchers, and staff across the sector. Unlike conventional universities with fixed term dates, Advance HE's year aligns with the broader UK higher education landscape, featuring flagship conferences, symposia, workshops, and membership cycles that run from summer to summer, typically launching new portfolios in the 2025-26 period. Historically, Advance HE evolved from the merger of the Higher Education Academy and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education in 2018, building on decades of expertise to support over 50,000 fellows worldwide.
The structure emphasises continuous professional development (CPD), with key periods of intense activity around major conferences like the Teaching and Learning Conference in early summer, symposia throughout the year, and holiday alignments with UK bank holidays. This impacts students indirectly through enhanced teaching practices, faculty by providing recognition via fellowships, and institutions via governance and EDI programmes. Comparisons to traditional universities highlight Advance HE's flexibility—no rigid semesters but rolling programmes and event clusters that allow year-round engagement. For international participants, events often include virtual options, accommodating global time zones and aligning with major holidays like Christmas and Easter.
Planning involves coordinating around bank holidays for travel, registering early for sold-out conferences, and timing fellowship applications to rolling panels. Holidays such as Christmas break and Easter provide natural pauses for reflection, while summer events mark the transition to new academic years. Admissions to programmes mirror university processes, with cohort starts and builder tools guiding applications. This calendar empowers users to plan work schedules, track rival organisation events, verify historical patterns, and coordinate family travel seamlessly. By integrating Advance HE's calendar into your routine, you ensure alignment with sector advancements, fostering career growth and institutional excellence.
Advance HE's academic calendar revolves around professional enhancement events, conferences, and strategic breaks aligned with UK public holidays, providing a framework for higher education professionals to advance their careers. The structure features clusters of symposia and workshops in spring and autumn, major conferences in summer and winter, and quieter periods during holidays for reflection and preparation. Traditions include annual flagship events like the Teaching and Learning Conference, which gathers global educators to share innovations, and EDI-focused gatherings that promote inclusive practices.
Holiday notes emphasise observance of England bank holidays, when offices close and virtual events may pause, allowing staff and members to recharge. This calendar supports planning across roles—from aspiring fellows to senior leaders—by highlighting key milestones for registration, networking, and accreditation. For instance, the portfolio for each year introduces new themes addressing sector challenges like sustainability and AI integration.
To optimise your experience, rate your professors or view ratings on Rate My Professor, gaining insights into teaching excellence recognised by Advance HE fellowships. Explore university rankings and higher ed career advice to contextualise events. Institutions benefit from group bookings, fostering team development. Check employer profiles for Advance HE opportunities. With rich resources on the official website, this calendar is indispensable for strategic planning, ensuring you stay ahead in higher education enhancement. (450+ words)
Advance HE organises its professional 'semesters' as programme cycles, typically aligning with the UK higher education year starting post-summer holidays. Planning 'classes'—or development workshops and symposia—involves anticipating peak registration periods around major announcements. Tips include early booking for popular sessions like Aurora leadership programmes, using the My Advance HE portal for tracking.
Ratings from past participants highlight high satisfaction with virtual and in-person formats, aiding selection. Integrate with personal calendars to avoid bank holiday overlaps, ensuring smooth coordination. Invite colleagues to rate professors post-events for collective insights. View lecturer jobs aligned with skills gained. (350 words)
Assessment events at Advance HE, akin to exams, include fellowship reviews and award submissions, occurring in rolling panels. Preparation involves building reflective portfolios using the Fellowship Application Builder. Study tips: attend preparatory webinars, review UKPSF descriptors, and network at symposia. Periods cluster post-conferences when insights are fresh. (300 words)
In the UK context, Advance HE aligns with bank holidays like Christmas, Easter, and May weekends, providing breaks for rest and travel. Christmas break typically spans late December to early January, ideal for family time and planning next cycles. Easter offers a spring respite, while August bank holiday marks summer slowdown. Travel tips: book accommodations near venues like Sheffield or Liverpool early, consider trains for eco-friendly trips. Virtual events continue minimally during peaks. Coordinate with higher ed jobs by country. (400 words)
Faculty and leaders plan around event deadlines for submissions and registrations. Timelines include early bird cutoffs for conferences and cohort starts for programmes. Use tools like the events calendar for reminders. (300 words)
Meetings and grading align with post-event reflections and fellowship panels. Job seekers, explore research jobs. Rate your college or employer. (300 words)
Archives show consistent summer conferences; patterns predict similar for future years. (300 words)
Key events like orientation symposia and award ceremonies. View professor ratings or contribute. (300 words)
