The Students' Unions 2011 conference at Leeds University Students’ Union will be a chance to share and showcase best practise from students’ unions, higher education and the voluntary sector. You can follow all the latest news, photos, videos and tweets (#su11) at www.nusconnect.org.uk/su2011
Speakers across the two days include Baroness Helena Kennedy QC; ‘Money Saving Expert’ Martin Lewis; founder of Peace One Day, Jeremy Gilley; and General Secretary of the National Trust, Dame Fiona Reynolds, as well as senior representatives of Higher Education sector bodies.
Topics for discussion include student engagement, student support, higher education policy, human resources and marketing.
The conference will conclude with the NUS Awards 2011 ceremony, recognising the campaigning and voluntary work of students and students’ unions across the UK.
Speaking ahead of the conference, NUS President, Liam Burns, said:
“Students and students’ unions are valuable members of the communities they live and operate in. There are some superb examples of campaigning and voluntary work taking place throughout the UK and this is a chance to share learning, listen to experts and, finally, to celebrate our successes.
“Students’ unions will be at the forefront of defending higher and further education over the coming years, fighting local battles on their campuses and building momentum for national campaigns and this event will be one part of the support NUS provides them to ensure that students unions can be stronger and bolder than ever.”
In a speech to the conference on Wednesday, Liam will say:
"The pound in a students’ pocket today matters just as much, maybe more, as their debts tomorrow. So this year, we will carry out the most comprehensive programme of investigation and research into student financial support that NUS has done for decades, and we will use that as the basis to develop new policy on how student money should be reformed. My judgement is that we have an unprecedented opportunity to secure good, fair, financial support for the students of the future, with cross-party support. We must seize it."
"We’ll challenge the government on its policies, collaborate with our partners to get the best we can for students, and speak directly to the public in pursuing our vision for education.
"We’ll develop a new culture of activism, make our campaigning more effective and reach out to new people and into the communities we have to inspire.
"We’ll make sure NUS is more effective than ever before, and we’ll work through our strategy to help make students’ unions stronger and more effective too."
The video alongside this article opened #SU11 and was created by NaSTA (the National Student Television Association).