UCAE celebrates its 7th annual conference
On 27th March 2026, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) welcomed around 150 practitioners and students of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and related fields to its 7th annual UCAE Conference, themed 'The Future of EAP'. The full-day event, held in the Samuel Alexander Building and streamed online, featured a range of presentations and workshops, supplemented - for the first time - by an asynchronous interactive platform showcasing lightning talks. Presenters and workshop leaders represented a wide range of teaching contexts, with contributors from UCAE's year-round team joined by summer Pre-sessional tutors and colleagues from public and private institutions across the Higher Education sector.
An array of interesting and valuable topics was explored, including the use of Generative AI in course development and delivery, the integration of gamification techniques for pedagogical purposes, and the promotion of inclusive EAP provision. UCAE was delighted to host an opening plenary talk, 'Transformative potentials for teaching with international students', by Dr Jenna Mittelmeier, Senior Lecturer in International Education, University of Manchester. A further highlight was the closing panel discussion, 'Teacher professional development in times of change', hosted by UCAE Deputy Director Ruth Fordham and bringing together esteemed guest speakers from the fields of EAP and HE Pedagogy.
Building on the success of this successful day, we greatly look forward to hosting our 8th annual UCAE Conference in 2027!
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