Our expertise
Our work spans four core areas of expertise, each designed to support sustainable success and enhance the student experience
Educational Excellence
We help institutions strengthen teaching and learning strategies to meet evolving student expectations and sector demands. From digital transformation and mental health to employability and academic integrity, our resources and consultancy enable universities to create inclusive, flexible, and future-focused learning environments.
Inclusive Institutions
Creating inclusive environments is essential for institutional success. We support leaders to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into organisational strategies, ensuring progress is sustained even in challenging contexts. Our guidance helps institutions navigate regulatory complexity, societal debates, and resource constraints while fostering belonging and wellbeing.
Enhancing Leadership
Bold, collaborative leadership is vital for navigating complexity and driving transformation. We partner with institutional leaders to build leadership capacity, embed organisational resilience, and align strategy with culture and values. Our support includes leadership development, change management, and succession planning to ensure institutions thrive in uncertain times.
Strengthening Governance
Effective governance underpins institutional resilience and reputation. We work with boards and senior leaders to enhance governance frameworks, improve accountability, and align decision-making with strategic priorities. Our expertise includes board effectiveness reviews, governor development, and inclusive governance practices that build trust and confidence.
Explore our insights
From imagining Block to enacting Block
Part of the Advance HE Collaborative Development Fund for 2024-25. This project showcases contemporary examples of institutional change through the lens of Block delivery, to help higher education institutions move from the conceptualisation of Block teaching, to its implementation.
Insights from the Health Sciences University merger
Co-produced by Advance HE and Health Sciences University (HSU), this report captures insights from key stakeholders across both legacy institutions that are now part of Health Sciences University; namely, the University College of Osteopathy, London (UCO) and AECC University College, Bournemouth (AECC).
Reimagining curricula across a whole institution
Part of the 2024-25 Advance HE Collaborative Development Fund, the University of Chester, and collaborative partners in the University of Hull, the University of South Wales and Southern Cross University (Australia), have developed this toolkit for reimagining curricula with the hope of supporting others to effectively and efficiently design courses to meet the complex demands being placed on higher education in the 21st century.
Meet our experts
David Bass
Director of Inclusion and Governance, Advance HE
David brings a wealth of experience working with universities and the tertiary sector, in equality and diversity, governance, access, as well as strategic planning and management. David has been central to ensuring EDI is strongly embedded in Advance HE’s new strategy and in the development of our CEO’s Race Action Group.
Charles Knight
Director of Educational Excellence and Student Success
Charles is an academic leader with a proven track record of delivery in the areas of learning teaching and enterprise. Before joining Advance HE, he was Associate Dean (Student Experience) at Salford Business School where he worked with colleagues to introduce a series of innovative practices including short technical qualifications, block teaching and an increased emphasis on the use of simulations and experimental learning.
Fiona Lennoxsmith
Head of Leadership, Governance & Management, Advance HE
Fiona Lennoxsmith is Head of Leadership, Governance & Management at Advance HE, where she leads a team of senior consultants to design and facilitate innovative leadership interventions, programmes and thought leadership for the Higher Education sector.
Dr Ruth Gilligan
Deputy Director of Inclusive Institutions
Dr Ruth Gilligan is Deputy Director of Inclusive Institutions at Advance HE. She is responsible for the strategic leadership of the Athena Swan Charter for gender equality and the Race Equality Charter which operate in the UK and internationally
Stuart Norton, PFHEA
Head of Educational Excellence, Advance HE
Stuart has over 20 years’ experience within higher education with extensive experience in designing and developing strategic, institutional-wide change.
In his role as Head of Educational Excellence at Advance HE, he focuses on both thought leadership and providing evidence-based solutions to support institutions, educators and students.
