Professor Matthew Agarwala (second left) on his panel at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference

Sussex was represented at four party conferences this autumn (Reform, Liberal Democrat, Labour, and Conservative) by the Public Affairs team and academic colleagues. The conferences provide an efficient and effective way of meeting numerous MPs, peers, and policymakers and an opportunity to champion the University’s priorities and share our academic expertise on the challenges of our time. The Vice-Chancellor attended both Labour and Conservative Party Conferences, featuring on sector-specific panels, while a range of Sussex academics contributed to nine events across the season, showcasing our thought leadership and reinforcing our reputation as a trusted voice in higher education and public policy.

Liberal Democrat Conference

At the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth, Professor Matthew Agarwala from the University of Sussex Business School participated in a panel discussion on energy transition. The Offshore Energies UK fringe event, which included MP Wera Hobhouse, focused on how the UK can achieve a successful energy transition while supporting economic growth through collaboration between industry, government, and communities.

During the session, Professor Agarwala emphasised key issues including: the critical policy choice between planned decarbonisation and crisis-driven change; the necessity of a unified industry approach to achieving net-zero emissions; and the potential for renewable energy to lower costs. He challenged misconceptions about North Sea oil and gas pricing, stating that producers would sell to the highest bidder rather than offering discounted rates to UK households, calling claims to the contrary misleading.

Labour Conference

The University was active at the Labour Conference in Liverpool, and you can read a separate article about the Vice-Chancellor’s participation on panels and her latest HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute) blog.

Sussex academics participated in several high-profile fringe events at the Labour Conference. Professor Winfried Hensinger from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences contributed to a Labour Tech panel event, sharing insights on how the UK could establish itself as a global leader in quantum computing. Dr Jo Wilding from the School of Law, Politics and Sociology engaged with the Legal Aid Practitioners Group in a session titled "Justice: A way to a better society," chaired by Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP. The University of Sussex's Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy organised a session exploring "Trade and Growth: A Strategy Fit for the UK," which featured Matt Western MP alongside Sussex academics Professor Emily Lydgate (School of Law, Politics and Sociology) and Professor Michael Gasiorek (University of Sussex Business School). Additionally, Professor Emily Lydgate spoke at a Chatham House event addressing the building of the UK's economic resilience amid an uncertain global landscape.

Conservative Conference

At the Conservative Conference in Manchester, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil spoke at a HEPI panel on higher education's public value and national renewal with different panel members. There she reiterated her messages from the Labour Conference and emphasised that 84% of parents and grandparents across the political spectrum still want their children to attend university. Sasha highlighted the critical financial pressures facing UK universities, arguing that the current quasi-market model is unsustainable and warning that if this crisis affected any other world-leading sector it would dominate daily news coverage, stressing again that the sector needs urgent government support.

Dr Minako Morita-Jaeger from the University of Sussex Business School contributed to a Chatham House event on economic security and UK resilience.