
Engage 2022: Changing Universities
Engage Conference 2022: Live and Online
As the pressures on the university sector mount – demanding change on our internal cultures and a step change in our engagement with wider society – the 2022 Engage Conference provided a welcome space to pause and make sense of the collective challenges we face. Bringing together people from inside and outside Higher Education, and from different engagement specialisms, we took stock of the system-shaking changes we are living through and developed a shared agenda and road map to help us navigate the months ahead.
Realising the value of meeting face to face, and the flexibility and accessibility provided by engaging online, Engage 2022 made the most of both worlds and consisted of two day-long events: Engage Live on 7th December and Engage Online on 15th December.
Delegates from across the sector joined us to share their experiences and learn alongside colleagues on an inspiring and people-centred exploration of how universities can fulfil their social purpose. The events included inspiring plenary talks, interactive sessions, informal networking, and the space for smaller, focused discussion.
Engage Highlights

Catch up with all the highlights, discussions, outputs and action from Engage 2022. Explore exhibits and activities, stream our inspiring plenaries and celebrate with our Engage Watermark winners.
Reimagine the future
In the final Engage Live plenary 'Reimagining the future' Steven Hill (Research England) and Nick Ishmael-Perkins (The International Science Council) share challenges and perspectives on the future of engagement and knowledge creation in rapidly changing times.
Listen to the 'Reimagining the future' plenary
Explore practice at our poster parties
You can now explore our Engage poster parties online! Click on a poster to enlarge it and explore a diversity of ideas, approaches and practices.
Visit the Engage 2022 poster parties
Follow the discussions in our virtual Open Space
We hosted an open space session where delegates could share practice, get feedback and generate action around the topics and challenges that mattered to them. Now you can explore some of the key ideas and conversations on our Padlet board!
Explore the Engage 2022 Open Space session
Celebrate the 2022 Engage Watermark winners
Four UK higher education institutions received an Engage Watermark in 2022, a charter mark awarded by the NCCPE to recognise outstanding commitment to supporting public and community engagement. The awards were live streamed on 15th December as part of Engage Online. Hear more about some of the excellent work being done by our winning institutions in collaboration with communities, businesses and civic partners, learn from them, and celebrate their achievements.
Stream the Engage Watermark 2022 awards