On 1st February 2017, through my role as Undergraduate Education Officer (Exeter), I had the opportunity to represent FXU at a national conference discussing how to improve students’ education experience. The Student Engagement Partnership (TSEP) conference, held in London, drew together Higher Education Staff, Students Union officers and students, through 16 workshops and speaker panels.

Click here to view the full programme

A variety of topics were covered, including how to make modules more innovative, the use of online training for student reps, improved funding platforms for student projects, and a history of student unions over time. For me, the most captivating session was an impassioned talk by Liverpool John Moores University, who discussed their large student body of Northern Irish students, and how despite being known as ‘home’ and not ‘international’ students, the culture differences lead to disproportionate amounts of NI students struggling while at university. It was a light hearted reminder of the serious issues of how students can become more engaged when small, but important, changes can be made across the board.

It was also a great honour to represent the great work that’s already being done within University of Exeter Penryn Campus, as Penrynopoly, a project Kieran Cutting, Natasha Evans and I created during our second year, was included in the conference’s programme. It was great to spread the word about the great innovation taking place on this campus, showcase original research that has an impact on a community and inspires others, and to receive tips from those who had already pushed the envelope of what can be done.