The line-up for the inaugural Edtech Summit has been revealed, with this year’s event taking place online from 18–19 November.
Running alongside the bi-annual Schools & Academies Show (17–20 November) – the UK’s largest education policy event organised by GovNet – the Edtech Summit has secured a 65-strong bill of speakers including Helen Miller OBE, chief executive of the Good Things Foundation; Robin Ghurbhurun, MD of UK Further Education and Skills; Professor Mark Simpson, pro vice-chancellor (leading and teaching) at Teeside University; and Lauren Thorpe, director of strategies at Ark.
Additionally, Gillan Keegan MP, parliamentary under secretary of state for apprenticeships and skills at the Department for Education (DfE), will deliver the opening keynote speech on the UK apprenticeships sector, also touching on the nation’s response to COVID-19 and the strategies implemented the mitigate the negative affects of the pandemic on young people’s careers. Keegan will be accompanied by Dr Daniel Susskind, career development fellow at the University of Oxford, delving into the future of work following the coronavirus outbreak.
The virtual event is designed to inspire and inform education technologists, industry leaders and educators at large of how to bridge the gap between education and technology through a digital networking platform. It’s thought that approximately 750 senior IT executives and 3,000 sector leaders will attend this year’s conference, which is also being sponsored by leading edtech suppliers.
“Whilst we are disappointed this launch event is not taking place at the NEX Birmingham as planned, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the level of support we have received to transform the inaugural Edtech Summit into a virtual event has been astounding – which clearly illustrates what an innovative and digitally-minded sector we are working with,” commented Chris Callaghan, event director of the Edtech Summit.
“Despite this change, we have assembled an inspiring and authoritative line-up of speakers who will provide vital updates and share best practice. The Edtech Summit is the only event in the UK to focus on helping primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities to optimise their digital strategies, implement new technologies and drive efficiencies in the classroom and the back office.”
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