Chair of the Association of National Teaching Fellows Angela O’Sullivan, Emerita Professor at De Montfort University, and Chair of CATE-Net Leisa Nichols-Drew, De Montfort University, are in conversation ahead of our upcoming Symposium, #ANTF2024.
Angela: The ANTF and CATE-Net Symposium is nearly here and the excitement is tangible amongst the two committees. Leisa, as the new CATE-Net Chair, how are you feeling?
Leisa: I am so looking forward to the Symposium – an opportunity for us to be together and share our mutual passion for teaching and learning. I am also excited to meet colleagues who may be thinking about applying for CATE and/or NTF. I feel so honoured to have these accolades myself and I see it as our responsibility to encourage others to do so, as the new CATE-Net Chair and as an NTF ally. How about you Angela?
Angela: I’m delighted that we had such a large number of diverse abstract submissions which fit so well with our ongoing WISER themes. The speakers and presenters are such inspirational individuals so I think we are all going to have two days of pedagogic paradise!
Leisa: Absolutely, I completely agree – the WISER themes offer us a varied programme (it will be difficult to select which sessions to attend!).
Angela: What are you looking forward to the most?
Leisa: I am looking forward to chairing sessions and also launching the call for CATE Collection Volume 2 which is the brilliant concept from the inspirational Dr Dawne Irving-Bell (CATE-Net Deputy Chair). How about you Angela?
Angela: I’m keen to hear from our panels who have representation from the collaborative innovation projects that the CANTF funded this year. There’s been some really interesting topics covered by the projects and coordinated so well by our Pedagogic Research Officers, Sam Elkington and Haleh Moravej.
And then of course we have our collaborative NTF and CATE colloquium session which we are presenting together.
Leisa: Yes, I think this is one example of the NTF and CATE ethos – leaving a legacy to benefit others, our sector and the wider horizon. NTF and CATE have distinct identities, however, the colloquium session celebrates the power of what we can achieve when we come together.
Angela: I think the best thing about this symposium is that it is not just for NTFs and CATE winners, but it is also for aspiring NTF/CATEs. It’s great to see delegates and presenters at our annual symposium who go on to win the awards. So, if you are reading this and aspire to be an NTF or CATE winner, please consider joining us at our annual symposiums.
Leisa: I could not agree more. Looking back, I still remember attending my first ANTF symposium – this was after we won the CATE award (2018) and before I had applied for my NTF in 2019. To be in the company of such inspirational people only encouraged me – this is why I am so passionate about supporting everyone who may be thinking about embarking on their own CATE/NTF journey.
Angela: The planning of the symposium has been in the safe hands of the Deputy Chair of CANTF, Professor Julie Hulme and we cannot thank her enough! Julie has been amazing at every step along the way and has involved the CANTF and CATE-Net members in the planning process. Many of the committee members will be chairing sessions and panels, enabling delegates to meet the people who are behind NTF and CATE activities.
Leisa: Yes, Julie has led such an inclusive conference organisation process, and I am so proud of all the CATE-Net members who are volunteering to support. I am always of the opinion, we are ‘stronger together’ so anything I can do to support you all will hopefully leave a benchmark for future events.
Angela: Thank you to CANTF, CATE-Net and Advance HE for supporting our symposium. We look forward to welcoming all the delegates on 23rd April at Nottingham Trent University. If you haven’t booked on we are closing bookings at 5pm on 15th April so you need to act quickly to make sure you don’t miss out!
