You are invited to the first Student Communities & Leadership Conference, a dedicated space to recognise, celebrate, and develop student leaders across our community.
This year’s theme centres belonging, voice, and academic communities in practice, exploring how students create, sustain, and shape the spaces around them, from societies and course representation to informal peer networks and lived experience leadership.
The conference will bring together academic representatives, society committee members, trustees, and engaged students for an afternoon of peer learning, skills development, and shared reflection. It offers an opportunity to connect across roles, explore what student leadership looks like in practice, and strengthen the communities that shape the student experience at Birmingham Newman and across Post-16 education in our region.
We are delighted to welcome Amira Campbell, President of the National Union of Students (NUS UK), to deliver our keynote. As the elected national representative for students across the UK, Amira works with students’ unions and student leaders to champion student voice, improve education, and address the key challenges facing students today. Her contribution will bring a national perspective on student leadership and the role of collective student voice in shaping meaningful change.
At the heart of the conference is student voice. The programme is being shaped and delivered by students, societies, and community leaders who are actively building belonging and driving change within their communities. Alongside student-led sessions, the conference will feature contributions from student movement leaders, community builders, and lived experience speakers, offering a range of perspectives on wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership in action.
Whether you are already in a leadership role or simply interested in how students create meaningful communities, this conference is an opportunity to learn, connect, and be part of shaping the student experience.
Here are some of our confirmed sessions:
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From Feeling Out of Place to Creating Community
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Jessica Nines
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From Student to National Leader: Building Scalable Psychology Communities and Student-Led Initiatives
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Jack Wood
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How Self-Expression Encourages Psychologically Safe Spaces
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Tamika Smith
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Life after life. A fight from the bottom back up
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Peter Britten
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Life Lessons That Helped Me Shine (1% at a Time)
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Anchal Chauhan
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The Course Rep Experience
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Ben Dubberley
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The Power of Your Voice: Small Courage, Real Change
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Laura Meszaros
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Turning Lived Experience into Leadership: Building Youth and Creating Change
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Linzi Pepper
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