Newcomers Track

Begin your CASE Europe Annual Conference experience with the Newcomers Track, two half-days focused on getting to know the sector and your peers.

This energising programme of learning, networking and socialising will give you context, community and confidence: three essentials that will turn your first conference into a thriving career.

Whether you’re in fundraising, marketing, advancement or alumni relations, the track is crafted so every delegate leaves with practical takeaways.

Why join?

Sector insights: We’ll talk you through the “ABC of Higher Ed” (because what’s with all the abbreviations?). Then, we’ll decode the power of storytelling and explore how to make AI your ally.

Human skills: From self-coaching to sessions on adaptability, you’ll develop skills that accelerate your professional growth.

Community first: Expect interactive group sessions and plenty of informal conversation that creates a network you’ll keep bumping into throughout CEAC. And long after.

Programme Outline

Monday 3 November

Day 1 - All About Others & Organisation

First, we’ll start by zooming out on the sector itself, as well as how to have an impact on others, whether they are students, academics, alumni or companies.

13:30–14:00 — Arrival, Registration & Lunch

14:00–14:30 — Welcome and Icebreaker
Bukky Gray, Director of Talent Management and Human Resources, University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations Office
Celine Kuysters, Marketing and Communication Strategist, University of Antwerp

14:30–15:30 — ABC of Higher Ed
Bukky Gray, Director of Talent Management and Human Resources, University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations Office

15:30–16:00 — Break

16:00–17:00 — Position Your Brand Through the Power of Stories
Celine Kuysters, Marketing and Communication Strategist, University of Antwerp

17:00–17:30 — Bring Your Own Challenge

17:30–19:00 — Networking Reception with CASE Committee Members

Tuesday 4 November

Day 2 - All About You

On day two, we'll turn the lens inward. Through self-coaching, you’ll unlock what motivates and inspires your best self, leaving you energised and ready to step confidently into the rest of the conference (and your career).

09:00–09:30 — Step Forward Into Higher Ed
Helena Kim, Coaching Psychologist, Executive Coach and Bestselling Author

09:30–10:30 — Group Coaching Session: Connect, Contribute, Collaborate
Helena Kim, Coaching Psychologist, Executive Coach and Bestselling Author

10:30–11:00 — Break

11:00–11:30 — The Conscious Collaborator: Reclaiming time with AI
Celine Kuysters, Marketing and Communication Strategist, University of Antwerp

11:30–12:00 — Goal Setting
Bukky Gray, Director of Talent Management and Human Resources, University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations Office

12:30 — Lunch and Move to Main Conference

Register

To register for the Newcomers Track, add the option in Step 3 (Select Sessions) when booking onto the main conference.

To add the Newcomers Track to an existing CEAC registration, please contact the CASE Europe team: [email protected]

Track Add-On Price

Member - GBP 375
School Member - GBP 225

Non-member - GBP 525
School Non-member - GBP 315

Highlighted Speaker

Helena Kim, PhD

Coaching Psychologist, Executive Coach, Bestselling Author

Helena is a speaker on our Newcomers and Aspiring Leaders tracks.

With over 35 years of experience in psychology and leadership development, Dr Helena Kim specialises in empowering individuals and leaders to master their confidence, leadership presence, and career transitions. Her career began as a therapist, where she worked with individuals facing dysfunctional relationships, depression, and anxiety. She later transitioned into academia at one of the top universities in the US, teaching graduate-level courses in Leadership Development, Vocational Psychology, Communication, and Consulting Psychology—topics that became the foundation of her success in her corporate coaching career.

Twenty years ago, she established her UK-based practice as a Coaching Psychologist. Her client list includes leaders from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Fujitsu, The London Stock Exchange, UBS, JP Morgan, NHS, The National Gallery, and the University of Cambridge, among many others. She focuses on decoding and transforming personal power, relational intelligence and professional success.

Hear from a past delegate

Track Chairs:

Bukky Gray

Director of Talent Management and Human Resources, University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations office

Bukky is the Director of Talent Management and Human Resources at the University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations office. At Cambridge, she is responsible for delivering strategic human resources and talent management programmes tailored to meet the organisation's current and long-term business needs. Bukky also plays a key role in the ROSS Equality Diversity and Inclusion working group (a sub-group of the senior leaders of the top 25 fundraising universities in the UK and Ireland). Before working in development, she worked mainly in the public sector in the UK, leading innovative HR practices to recruit and retain hard-to-recruit roles, researching equality and diversity initiatives to support black and ethnic minority staff and leading significant change programmes.

Bukky is a barrister and solicitor, holds a master's degree in International Business and is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She has a coaching qualification from the Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. She recently commenced a master's degree in Industrial/Organisational Psychology at Harvard University. Bukky's passion lies in talent management and coaching. She is also a strong advocate of equality, diversity, social mobility and inclusion.

Celine Kuysters

Marketing and Communication Strategist, University of Antwerp

Celine was born and raised in Antwerp: the diamond, fashion, and beer capital of the world. She started her career in higher education in 2019, armed with master’s degrees in both strategic communication and journalism.

Besides being responsible for managing the faculty's international recruitment strategy, digital campaigns, content creation and social media, she is also committed to building its alumni community. Since 2022, she is part of the EMFD Marcom, Alumni and External Relations steering committee.

Having travelled 33 countries and speaking 5 (and a half) languages, her nickname at work has become Celinternational.