Doing exciting things well: Quality, creative opportunity and navigating Regulatory Policy in Higher Education (Livestream)

Developing and delivering successful higher education demands the right interlinkages: between modules and courses; between courses and employers; and between universities and national policy.

In this lecture to celebrate her professorship, Claire Pike will explore three illustrative cases of the interplay between university, internal/external stakeholders, and government – with outlooks for the future of the higher education sector. She will touch on educational compacts with civic partner organisations, possibilities for lifelong education, and the future of the Teaching Excellence Framework. Claire will also say something about her personal story, encompassing her scientific background and progression to Professor of Education Enhancement and Leadership at ARU.

You can also book to attend this event in person.

About our speaker

Claire is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education Enhancement) at ARU. In this role, she is currently leading the enhancement of student experience and outcomes across ARU’s portfolio of courses, disciplines, and delivery modes; development of education-related aspects of ARU’s strategic compacts with external organisations and stakeholders; and the university’s large and varied apprenticeship provision. She is passionate about the power of education positively to transform people's lives.

Claire read Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, progressing to the MSci in Biochemistry and then a Ph.D. in the field of epigenetics and transcriptional control at the Gurdon Institute. She completed a postdoctoral Research Associateship at the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, focussing on the genetics and genomics of breast cancer, and joined ARU in 2013.

Prior to her current Pro Vice-Chancellorship, Claire has undertaken several leadership roles at ARU, including Course Leader; Deputy Head of School; and Deputy Dean (Education) for the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She has lectured on a broad range of biomedical sciences topics in London and at ARU, and supervises PhD students in cognate – and education-related – disciplines. Claire’s educational leadership work encompasses curriculum design and external accreditation across a wide range of subjects and courses; and leading the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s successful application for an Athena SWAN Bronze Award, ARU’s submission to the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, and the Talent pillar of the Cambridge University Health Partners Life Sciences 2050 Vision.

Claire is a National Teaching Fellow; a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology; a member of the Executive Committee of the Heads of University Sciences of Biomedical Sciences; and a member of the Curriculum Committee, the Education Policy Advisory Group, and the Diversity and Inclusion Network of the Royal Society of Biology.