A growing community of practice
Each year, as the Imperial Festival of Learning and Teaching (FOLAT) grows, we welcome more colleagues from across faculties to come together, connect, and share their experiences. The Festival serves as a vibrant meeting point—where educational practice, innovation, and community spirit come together to shape the future of learning and teaching at Imperial.
This year’s theme: Science education for humanity – Pathways to sustainable impact
This year, the festival took place in March on our South Kensington campus, with a focus on sustainability in higher education. Across three days, we explored what it means to embed sustainability in our teaching, in our curricula, and in the culture we foster as a university. We looked at how to prepare our students and graduates to engage with sustainability through STEMMB disciplines, and how we as educators can adopt and champion more sustainable teaching practices.
Conversations throughout the event also tackled the balance between sustaining excellence in education and nurturing wellbeing and community. We reflected on the challenges we face, but also the many opportunities that exist when we work together.
Opening the festival
We opened this year’s Festival with a warm welcome from President Hugh Brady, who reflected on the collective ambition of our Imperial community to make a difference. In his opening remarks, he celebrated the University’s continued achievements—from our Gold TEF rating to our place among the world’s top institutions—while acknowledging the crucial role our staff and students play in shaping our future.
Learning from external perspectives
Throughout the festival, we had the privilege of hearing from a range of external speakers whose work is actively shaping the future of education and sustainability.
On day one, Dr Stephen Sterling—Emeritus Professor of Sustainability Education at the University of Plymouth—opened with a keynote that challenged us to think critically about the role of education in these uncertain times. Drawing from his extensive career and recent book Learning and Sustainability in Dangerous Times, he made a compelling case for reimagining higher education as a driver of systemic change.
On day two, Dr James Huff, University of Georgia, offered a deeply human perspective on academic life, exploring the relationship between high expectations and professional shame in teaching and learning, and the importance of connecting with others to promote sustainable practice and wellbeing. Later that day, Dr Anna Troisi of UAL’s Creative Computing Institute shared her pioneering work on compassionate feedback, and demonstrated how co-creation can empower students and staff, make assessment more sustainable and create inclusive educational ecosystems. Together, their insights inspired timely conversations and offered new lenses through which to view the challenges and opportunities for fostering more sustainable approaches to teaching and learning.
Celebrating our community
Over the course of the festival, we hosted 45 sessions spanning workshops, panels, presentations, and ignite talks—each one showcasing the creativity, curiosity, and commitment of our Imperial community. From thought-provoking discussions to practical explorations of sustainable teaching, every session reflected the depth of engagement and shared purpose across our faculties.
Looking ahead
The success of this year’s Festival of Learning and Teaching is thanks to the many staff and students who contribute their time, energy, and ideas to make it such a vibrant, collaborative space. We’re already looking forward to seeing where these conversations take us next.
In the meantime, if you’d like to revisit any of the discussions or resources from the festival, post-event materials—including session recordings and slides —are available on our website. We hope these resources continue to inspire and support your own work and teaching practices.
Help us shape future events
As we reflect on this year’s Festival, we’re also looking ahead to how we can continue to evolve and improve. If you attended any part of FOLAT 2025, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Please take a few minutes to complete our evaluation form. Your feedback helps us understand what resonated, what could be better, and how we can create even more meaningful experiences in the future.
Thank you for helping us grow the Festival together.