Keynotes/Plenaries

The Students as Partners Roundtable 2025 brings together students, educators, and community-activists to critically explore the complexities of doing partnership and social justice work in higher education. This year’s plenary sessions will engage with questions about power, resilience and the pursuit of meaningful lasting change through our partnership practices.

These plenaries will examine how to build partnerships with those from minoritised groups in ethical ways particularly from a decolonial perspective. There will be focus on the impacts of partnership, such as how co-creation can drive real and lasting change within our institutions. Equally important, there will be honest discussion about the tensions and challenges of doing social justice work in partnership, such as the need to sustain authentic partnerships while navigating institutional pressures, practicing accountability, and developing the stamina needed to persist amid resistance, uncertainty and unrest.

Join these in-person and livestreamed conversations to engage with critical reflections and collectively envision more just and transformative partnership practices.

Plenary Day 1

Wednesday June 25th, 17:30-19:00 (UK)

Redistributing power in the academy: understanding the importance of relationality and partnership in decolonial work 

Speakers: Yahlnaaw and Kelsea Costin

This plenary brings together two academics from the United Kingdom and colonially known Canada to discuss the redistribution of power in universities in relation to partnership work. The panel will feature Yahlnaaw (University of Victoria), whose scholarship and practices interrogate oppressive colonising frameworks and systems, drawing on her intersecting identities as an Indigenous, queer, and transgender scholar, and Kelsea (SOAS, University of London), a Master’s student in Cultural Studies, early-career researcher and member of a student-staff partnership.  

Considering questions and the interrelatedness of knowledge production, relationality, decolonial work and student-staff partnership, these speakers will delve into conversation about what it means to do social justice work in their unique contexts, whilst also acknowledging their similarities within colonising frameworks. Their discussion will focus on building partnership relationships ethically and with consideration to minoritized groups, especially from a decolonial perspective. 

Yahlnaaw

Kelsea Costin

Plenary Day 2

Thursday 26th June, 10:30-12noon (UK)

Beyond the classroom: sustaining student-staff partnerships in the pursuit of social justice

Speakers: Esra Tahir, Fabien Littel, Özge Suvari, Tai Peseta, Gabriela Brasileiro and Muhammad Saadiq Dollie

This plenary brings together students and educators engaged in student partnership and social justice work across universities in the United Kingdom. Focusing on the power of student-staff collaborations, this session will explore how meaningful partnerships can drive real change within our institutions. 

The speakers will delve into key questions about what it takes to build genuine student partnerships in the pursuit of social justice. They will address how to ensure students are active participants rather than passive; partners in co-creating knowledge and pedagogic tools; as well as how trust and care can be nurtured within these partnerships. The panel will be hosted by Dr Tai Peseta, Associate Professor and Academic Lead for Student-Staff Partnership at Western Sydney University.

Join us for an open discussion about sustaining impactful, long-term partnerships that foster a more socially-just and collaborative university culture and community.

Esai Reddy 

Esra Tahir 

Fabien Littel

Özge Süvari

Tai Peseta

Gabriela Brasileiro

Gabriela Brasileiro (she/her) is an LLM student at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in international and transnational criminal law. Her research explores the possibilities of deecolonizing international criminal law to enhance the field’s legitimacy. Previously, she worked as a programme intern and consultant for the Inclusive Curriculum Consultants Programme at Kingston University London. Her approach to EDI is rooted in intersectionality, with an emphasis on adaptable and practical solutions for decolonization, anti-racism and inclusion through self-reflection, community care and education.

Muhammad Saadiq Dollie is a dedicated and ambitious BEng Tech (Honour) student in Chemical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). He completed his BEngTech study last year in 2024. A former Spine Road High School prefect, he has demonstrated leadership skills as a class representative throughout his university years, earning commendation from the Dean of Engineering.

Plenary Day 3 

Friday 27th June, 13:30-15:00 (UK)

Building stamina for justice: perspectives on social justice work in higher education

Speakers: Kyra Araneta, Séagh Kehoe, Lara Pownall and Sharon Stein

This plenary brings together voices from across the academic landscape to explore the complexities of social justice work in higher education. Our diverse panel features Dr Sharon Stein (University of British Columbia), whose scholarship and practice interrogates the colonial foundations of higher education; Séagh Kehoe (University of Westminster a senior lecturer and union organiser engaged with exploring ways to study within, against, and beyond the university.; Kyra Araneta (University of Westminster), an early-career researcher advancing decolonial approaches through student-staff partnerships; and undergraduate student activist Lara Pownall (University of Westminster), who brings vital insight from the student perspective.

Drawing from their distinct yet interconnected experiences, these speakers will explore critical questions about navigating the ups and downs of social justice work in higher education such as: How do we balance urgency with the need for deep, systemic change? How do we maintain authentic partnerships while managing institutional pressures? What does true accountability look like in this work, and how can we actively practice it? And, amid setbacks and resistance, how do we develop the stamina to sustain this work for the long haul?

Join us for an open and honest discussion on developing stamina, sustaining hope, and building long-term practices that drive meaningful change.

Kyra Araneta

Séagh Kehoe

Séagh is a Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies and Course Leader for the BA in Culture, Environment and Social Change at the School of Humanities, University of Westminster. At the moment, they spend a lot of time thinking about how to study within/against/beyond the university. They are also a union organiser.

Lara Pownall

Sharon Stein