One man's story of social mobility and inequality - and a searching analysis of what needs to change - Hashi Mohamed's powerful and often heart-breaking story reveals the rarity of individuals crossing the great divide. The chances that a nine-year old Somali refugee from Kenya, who arrived in Britain without his mother and was brought up in poverty and deprivation, would end up writing a book like this are extremely remote. That he is also a successful barrister is equally improbable. The main lesson of his life, however, is that where the system fails to provide a leg up, individuals can make all the difference. Teachers, role models, relatives, mentors: this story is about their encouragement and support.

The education sector is changing, and changing fast. There may always be a place for more traditional engagement, but in a disruptive and internationally competitive market, what are the challenges and opportunities that we will face in the next few years? And what do we need to do now to give ourselves the best chance of future success? With a focus on the experiences that future generations of students and alumni may expect, this session will consider how institutions and those of us working in the education sector need to adapt.

Learn how the University of St. Andrews applied data science tools to its alumni/supporter database to improve their existing segmentation strategies for Legacy and Annual Giving campaigns, event invites and feasibility surveys. The University built custom predictive models and used the scores to identify the best constituents for inclusion within their data-driven initiatives; to help improve performance, response rates and ROI. During the session we will discuss the underlying challenges that motivated this work, review at a high level the modelling and segmentation strategies that were employed and present the tools used to measure success.

In this session on AI and Generative AI we will explore the transformative potential and practical applications within marketing and communications in Higher Education. With a focus on broadening your understanding of AI and Generative AI capabilities, we will highlight specific use cases that illustrate the application of AI, and key risks that should be considered in implementation. We will discuss where AI could be leveraged in your own institutions.

A lot of universities operate on a devolved model with marketing and communications staff dotted throughout the institution. But how can you build a campaign that everyone can confidently execute and still have the desired impact on your objectives? Heather MacBain, Head of Marketing at The University of Edinburgh (UoE), will share the process of campaign governance, audience insights, creative development and staff engagement as part of the new co-created #ExtraordinaryEdinburgh student recruitment campaign. Come and join a discussion about lessons learned and considerations when building a campaign that has longevity and is integrated into your brand DNA.

What are the latest trends in advancement and what do they mean for your institution? This session will draw on recent CASE Insights research to explore trends that are impacting advancement practices in educational institutions, as well as contextualizing our research with what we are learning from our members around the globe. Gain insights on current trends in global philanthropy, including the rise in principal gifts and the conditions that are driving this trend. This session will also incorporate how institutions are using artificial intelligence to support their advancement activities, focusing on current attitudes and ethical use of this disruptive technology. Walk away with ideas to incorporate key metrics across integrated advancement and tips on how you can become a data-informed leader, regardless of where you sit on the organizational chart.

The University of Helsinki launched a new international fundraising and alumni project in 2020, amid the COVID pandemic. Whilst the quantitative success of the project in terms of donations is not staggering, we have gained a vast amount of knowledge concerning foundations, events, tools and reaching out to private individuals. During this session we will unpack the lessons learned from the project. We will discuss our overarching strategy, shed light on the diverse initiatives trialed, and share our progress. We hope to encourage an active and open dialogue with session attendees about the best practices for international fundraising.

Alumni Relations in large institutes involve many teams on various levels. You need strong engagement from all those stakeholders to launch new initiatives (e.g. an online Alumni Platform). Sustaining enthusiasm post-launch is even more challenging. We'll explore tailor-made tactics, to introduce change and new initiatives across the entire institute, while ensuring everyone feels involved and avoiding a top-down narrative. How do we foster shared responsibility and co-creation, sustain engagement as novelty fades, and ensure universal buy-in when presenting opportunities, not obligations?