The British Academy is delighted to be hosting The conversation starts here: SHAPE conference 2025, the first in a new annual conference series that brings the SHAPE community together to delve into the pressing issues affecting our disciplines. SHAPE stands for Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and the Economy.

This is an all-day event at our London home, followed by an evening reception. You will hear from policy experts, Fellows of the British Academy, funded researchers, civil servants, museum directors, and research and academic leaders. There will be opportunities throughout the day to share your own insights across a range of different sessions. You can view the provisional agenda below, please note this may be subject to change.

Sessions will include workshops, panel discussions and Q&As with a range of sector figures - from ECRs to vice chancellors, to research managers and culture journalists. Topics include connecting the SHAPE disciplines with policy making, how to make research careers sustainable, ensuring access to our disciplines, and devolution in education and teaching.

Please join us by registering here. General Admission tickets (for the whole day and reception) are £10 and tickets for Fellows of the British Academy are £5.

This event will take place in-person at the British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James, London, SW1Y 5AH.

Event schedule:

Registration open from 08.45
Morning sessions: 09.30-13.00
Afternoon sessions: 14.15-17.00
Reception: 17.30-19.00

If you have any questions about this event, please email Ruairí Cullen at r.cullen@thebritishacademy.ac.uk

AGENDA

Please note that timings are to be confirmed and additional names will be added to sessions.

09:30-10:00 - Opening keynote from Professor Julia Black PBA

Session One

Option 1: From numbers to narrative: turning data into impact
What can we learn from the SHAPE Observatory, including cold-spots maps, and how to use data in HE policy context.

Chair: Dr Molly Morgan Jones (British Academy)

Tom Calver (The Times and Sunday Times)

David Kernohan (Wonkhe)

Julianne Pigott (AHRC)

Option 2: SHAPE in policy making
Innovation Fellows sharing their experience of applying SHAPE evidence to policy making

Chair: Christina Boswell FBA (University of Edinburgh)

Jake Barnes (University of Oxford)

Gloria Crabolu (University of Exeter)

Avinash Paliwal (SOAS)

Option 3: What’s on the Westminster agenda?
Hearing from policy experts about what’s on the agenda relevant to SHAPE in HE

Chair: Hetan Shah (British Academy)

Ben Johnson (University of Strathclyde)

Rachel Wolf (Public First)

Session Two
Option 1: Four nations, four approaches?
Hearing about the ups and downs of devolution in education and research

Chair: Professor Margot Finn FBA (UCL)

Mark Lee (Department for the Economy, NI)

Dame Julie Lydon (Medr)

Sir Anton Muscatelli (University of Glasgow)

Option 2: Strategies for successful subject advocacy
Using languages as a starting point, what are the relative merits of different subject-specific strategies for advocacy?

Chair: Charles Forsdick FBA (University of Cambridge)

Michelle Doyle Wildman (Political Studies Association)

Jenny Richards FBA (English Association / University of Cambridge)

Séverine Trouillet (STEM Learning)

Option 3: A GLAMerous relationship?: research and the public
From critical research infrastructure to public engagement, what can the GLAM sector tell us about SHAPE and the public?

Chair: Ian Christie FBA

Ashok Ahir (National Library of Wales)

Mark Hallett (Courtauld Institute of Art)

Esme Ward (Manchester Museums)

LUNCH

Session Three

Option 1: Workshop – How could we ensure fair regional access to different subjects in higher education?
A problem-solving session where we discuss different models to safeguard access to degree choice

Chair: Sarah Cowan (British Academy)

Rachel Hewitt (MillionPlus)

Sir Chris Husbands

Omar Khan (TASO)

Option 2: Workshop – how could we measure the value of a degree?
A problem-solving session where we discuss different options to measure degree value

Chair: Anna Vignoles FBA (Leverhulme Trust)

Polly Mackenzie (University of the Arts London)

Tej Nathwani (HESA / Jisc)

Andy Westwood (University of Manchester)

Option 3: Workshop – how could we make research careers sustainable?
A problem-solving session where we discuss issues in the researcher pipeline and how to solve them

Chair: Margot Finn FBA (UCL)

Sally Hancock (University of York)

Rachel Persad (GuildHE)

Blessing Marandure (De Montfort University)

Session Four

In conversation with university leaders
Chair: Julia Black PBA (British Academy)

Dame Sally Mapstone (University of St Andrews)

Irene Tracey (University of Oxford)

RECEPTION 17:00-19:00