Catalyst Group Homepage
On this page, we will host Engaged Futures updates, reports, session recordings, resources, and opportunities.
Please do not share the URL for this page with anyone who is not already a Catalyst. You could also save it in favourites bar on your browser so you can find it easily.
Next Catalyst Event: Resourcing the University in 2045
Online; Thursday 12 June 2025 from 2-5pm.
We are hosting the fourth of five conversations on Thursday 12 June 2025. This will be centred around Resourcing the University in 2045.
Our universities are in financial crisis. What is not working with current funding portfolios and mechanisms? Are we inadvertently creating a system that commodifies research and students, and emphasizes churn over depth? Risks losing independence and integrity for fear of biting the hand that feed? Importantly, how might inclusion and engagement secure its place in a financially streamlined future? And is there a way of fostering intra-institutional collaboration over competition?
If you feel that this theme is relevant to you and your experiences, and you'd like to contribute to the conversation, please register using the link below. Registration closes at 10am on Thursday 12 June 2025.
Latest Conversations
The Inclusive University
We hosted a fruitful conversation around the importance of championing a more inclusive higher education sector, and inclusive knowledge production system on Wednesday 07 May 2025. Thank you to all those who contributed, we will be posting the workshop recording a Padlet boards in due course, to which you can continue to add to if you would still like to be involved in the conversation. Coming soon...
Research and Researchers in 2045
We held this conversation on Wednesday 09 April 2025. We will be posting the workshop recording and Padlet boards shortly, so that if you were unable to attend the live event you will still be able to join the conversation. Watch this space.
The Role of the Intermediary in 2045
We held this conversation on Tuesday 25 March 2025. We invite Catalysts who were unable to make the live event to continue to input into this conversation.
Please watch the video below and use these two Padlet boards to share your ideas about the future of the intermediary or broker role between people outside of and within a University. These will be open until 27th June 2025.
Padlet 1: What is not working and what is your vision for the future of the intermediary role and skill set?
How to get involved
We invite you to get involved in our Engaged Futures Consultation Phase. You might like to attend an NCCPE-led, online consultation event (listed below), or you might want to host your own consultative conversation with people and groups that you connect with. You could do both!
Lead a Conversation
We invite any Catalyst to host their own conversations with individuals and communities outside of the Catalyst Group, using the 3Horizons process as a guideline (we will provide support materials). You may wish to choose to focus on one of the themes above, or delve further into one of the themes, on which the NCCPE is leading discussions.
We request that anyone hosting a conversation, notify us of your activity as soon as you can, so we can identify gaps in our consultation and report back on your findings.
If you would like to host a consultation activity amongst your networks, you can find more information about the themes and how to let us know about a conversation you are hosting here “Catalyst Led Conversations”.
Join a Conversation
The NCCPE will be leading a selection of its own conversations on some of the themes that have emerged. You can choose to join the conversation as per the dates and times listed below. Please click on each Workshop title to register your attendance.
- Resourcing the University in 2045
Thursday 12 June 2025
14:00 - 17:00
- Consultation Review
Wednesday 18 June 2025
10:00 - 13:00
You are not obliged to attend all of these events, please only register for those what you are able to attend and that feel relevant to you.
Growing the Catalyst Group
We will be recruiting Catalysts throughout this project.
We would like to build a diverse movement of individual, representative of the variety of professions and communities that work with and alongside HE. This might be in publishing, community activism, local government, educational, or research organisation.
As you look through the themes above, it may become apparent that we need to bring other voices into the conversation. We encourage you to identify who these voices might be and how we might meaningfully include them (perhaps as catalysts or in a consultation event).
Q&A
The briefing webinar included the opportunity to ask questions. We collected and answered these on the Engaged Futures Catalyst Q&A board. You can continue to post questions here. We will aim to answer them within 7 days.
Access the Catalyst Group Welcome page information
The Catalyst Group Welcome page hosts all the information Catalysts need to know to be part of the project. You can find the following information there:
- What is your role as a Catalyst?
- A video and slide deck from the Catalyst Briefing Webinar which tells you about your role in the project
- A short video about the 3 Horizons framework
- The Engaged Futures Project timeline
- A description of the Four Phases of the project
- How to bring others into the Catalyst Group