'21st Century Lifelong Learning at The University of Sheffield'

Professor Willy Kitchen was awarded his chair on the academic career teaching pathway in January 2023.  

In his inaugural lecture, “21st century Lifelong Learning at the University of Sheffield”, Willy will explore two key themes.  

Firstly, he will reflect upon some of the many ways in which the mature students he has worked with in the Department for Lifelong Learning over the past twenty-five years have actively shaped his own learning and teaching practice.   

Then, he will outline how the contributions of DLL’s undergraduate foundation year students have impacted upon the wider institution and explain why lifelong learning, and more specifically the qualities mature learners bring to the University, remain essential to the continued diversity and enrichment of the institution’s undergraduate learning community, notwithstanding a rapidly changing external regulatory and funding environment. 

In short, he will make, and remake, the case for why lifelong learning still matters at the University of Sheffield.

Willy was appointed Head of the Department for Lifelong Learning in 2015, where he has led its mature access and foundation year programmes since the turn of the millennium.  He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a trustee of the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, and a former chair of the Foundation Year Network.  He also enjoys teaching - a lot.