WHEA Annual Report 2025 Final Digital with links v3 - Flipbook - Page 2
Warwick International Higher Education Academy Annual Report 2025
Welcome
from the director
This year has been one of growth, inspiration, and impact for WIHEA.
We welcomed a record 46 new Fellows, including 16 Student Fellows,
marking a significant expansion of our community and reaffirming our
commitment to inclusive, collaborative educational excellence.
A key milestone was the celebration of WIHEA’s 10th
anniversary. In July, we were honoured to welcome
back founding figures, including Professor Christina
Hughes and Professor David Lamburn, whose vision and
dedication laid the foundation for WIHEA. Reflections
from Christina, along with former Directors Professor
Gwen van der Velden and Professor Letizia Gramaglia,
highlighted WIHEA’s enduring values and evolving legacy.
We also recognised new Honorary Fellows, Roberta
Woolridge-Smith, Professor Jonathon Hickman-Heron,
and Michelle Kulpa, whose contributions have been
instrumental in shaping WIHEA over the past decade.
Learning Circles (LCs) remain central to WIHEA’s work,
providing dynamic spaces for collaboration, innovation,
and reflection. This year, we introduced two new LCs,
Building Belonging and Mature Student Experiences,
which have fostered important conversations and
inspired action both within Warwick and beyond. Our
Learning Circles are active across a wide spectrum of
engagement, from online webinars, masterclasses, and
one-day symposia to projects exploring specific areas
of educational practice. These diverse formats allow
members to connect, share expertise, and co-create
meaningful change.
This year saw a strategic refresh of WIHEA’s mission,
reaffirming our dedication to advancing excellence
in learning and teaching, fostering staff–student
partnerships, promoting pedagogic innovation, and
cultivating global collaborations. Our work continues
to be grounded in the principles of inclusive education,
celebrating diversity, equity, and transformative learning
experiences.
Students have played a key role in these initiatives, and
we have expanded opportunities for student involvement,
including the launch of a student-led project fund to
support identification and resolution of educational
challenges. We continue to support small-scale
pedagogic research and LC activities, providing space
for further exploration and innovation.
In May, we were delighted to receive a WoW Award,
testament to the dedication of our team. Special thanks
go to Michelle and Lisa for their unwavering support
over the past ten years, which has been invaluable to the
WIHEA community. We bid farewell to Reece Goodall,
whose contributions, insights and support have been
instrumental in developing WIHEA over the past two
years. We wish him every success in his new role as
Student Engagement and Experience Coordinator in
Chemistry. We have also welcomed and said goodbye
to our exceptional Graduate Trainee Manager, Inca
Hide Wright. Inca’s energy, enthusiasm and creativity
significantly extended WIHEA’s reach, particularly
through the establishment of the WIHEA Connect
Sessions, which have enhanced member engagement
and visibility. Another major development was the launch
of the Education Fund, in collaboration with the Institute
for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL), supporting
nine innovative projects across Warwick. As the fund
continues to evolve, we look forward to supporting
further initiatives in the coming year.
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WIHEA has also strengthened its national and
international collaborations, notably with Leeds Institute
for Teaching Excellence (LITE) and the University of
Melbourne. We welcomed colleagues from Monash
University and, closer to home, co-led the Dales Dialogue
with Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE).
Looking ahead, WIHEA remains committed to nurturing
educational leadership, expanding global partnerships,
and cultivating our vibrant community of practice. Our
collaborations with the Academic Development Centre
(ADC) around scholarship of teaching and learning
(SoTL) and the launch of new Learning Circles promise
an exciting year to come.
Jess Humphreys
SFHEA, SCHMALT
DIRECTOR, WARWICK
INTERNATIONAL HIGHER
EDUCATION ACADEMY
