Festival of Learning and Teaching

Future focused education – the class of 2030

Imperial’s vision for the Class of 2030 is that students will be educated in a welcoming, supportive and appropriately challenging environment where disciplinary excellence, interdisciplinary working and entrepreneurship training are seamlessly integrated. Supported by state-of-the-art digital/physical infrastructure and an engaging extracurricular experience.

Educating the Class of 2030 and beyond
Opening the Festival of Learning and Teaching 2026 we focus on lifelong learning, asking what changes to teaching, learning and assessment are needed to deliver on this vision. We will hear about plans to further develop Imperial’s I-Explore Programme and the Enterprise Lab. Lifelong learning will extend across the student lifecycle, including new advanced skills and leadership modules offered by the Imperial Institute of Lifelong Learning. The new Schools of Convergence Science bring interdisciplinary learning to the forefront. What opportunities and challenges do these new modes of delivery bring?

The Festival will explore how the Class of 2030 vision impacts what we teach, how we teach, who we teach and who we assess. Leaders in micro-credential development will share insights into the structural and pedagogical implications of lifelong learning. The impact on undergraduate courses, new Master’s courses and extended training and skill development will be debated and discussed. These ideas and innovations will be explored from the perspective of teachers, students and the new types of students and learners such ambitious vision may attract.

Imperial’s commitment to creating pathways into STEMM for the community it serves has been at the forefront of Science for Humanity. We will celebrate the numerous widening participation and outreach-focused centres and iniatives at Imperial and showcase the impact our increasingly diverse student and faculty community has made.

Empathy, Agency, and Enterprise: Shaping the Class of 2030
Day Two of the festival foregrounds the imperative for higher education—particularly within STEM disciplines—to integrate extended learning, enterprise, and workforce readiness. As labour markets and STEM industries evolve with increasing complexity, universities must move beyond technical skill acquisition to cultivate student agency, adaptability, and leadership. Successful transitions from education to employment depend on learners’ ability to apply knowledge, articulate value, and navigate uncertainty, supported by intentional mechanisms such as industry partnerships, work placements, mentoring, and proactive careers guidance. While the Class of 2030 will be facing an unknown future, we do know they will have to successfully navigate GenAI-enabled professional contexts. The preparation required has the possibility to entrench or address inequities faced by who would benefit most from such support (Moote et al, 2024).   

This session will convene internal and external speakers to share insights aligned with Imperial’s educational strategy and graduate outcomes, exploring how institutions can co-design learning with employers and students, embed reflective practice, and evaluate impact. By centring inclusion, collaboration, and adaptability, the discussion will highlight how higher education can prepare graduates not only to enter the workforce but to lead with empathy, initiative, and influence in a changing labour market in the age of AI.