28 April 2026 - UCISA26 Manhui Wang Reflections
Leading with purpose: reflections from UCISA26
What does it mean to lead thoughtfully in an era of rapid, relentless change? That question framed my experience at UCISA26. And, in truth, it has stayed with me ever since.When I was offered a PlusOne Bursary place to attend the UCISA26 Leadership Summit in Liverpool, I felt a mixture of gratitude and anticipation. I was looking forward to stepping outside the day-to-day pressures of my own institution and spending time thinking at a higher altitude, reflecting on strategy, people, and the futures we are collectively being asked to help shape.
My first impression, and honestly one that stayed with me, was the sheer breadth of the supplier presence. The scale was striking, with suppliers covering virtually every corner of IT services imaginable. Far from feeling overwhelming, it actually served as a useful mirror: a vivid, tangible picture of just how complex and interconnected our digital landscape has become. Walking through that environment made abstract conversations about transformation feel very concrete, very quickly.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the summit itself had a generosity of spirit I had not quite expected. There was openness among delegates, a willingness to share not just successes but honest uncertainties too. That felt important.
As for my three key takeaways, they have stayed with me since returning.
The first concerns AI, technical trends, and digital policy. I will be honest. This was the area I found most impressive. The conversations were sophisticated and timely, covering not just the mechanics of AI adoption but also the governance and policy frameworks we need to put around it. It felt like the sector is moving from asking “should we?” to genuinely grappling with “how do we do this responsibly?” That shift in maturity was energising to be part of.
The second was a quieter but equally powerful insight. Care is part of leadership. This came through in several sessions, and it resonated deeply. In an environment where leaders are under enormous pressure to deliver, it can be tempting to treat wellbeing and compassion as soft extras. UCISA26 pushed back on that firmly, making the case that genuinely caring for your people is not separate from good leadership. It is central to it.
Third, the theme of sustainability and inclusion ran as a thread beneath almost everything. Not as a box ticking exercise, but as a genuine challenge to think about who benefits from the decisions we make and who gets left behind. Once applied, that lens is difficult to remove, which I think is exactly as it should be.
If I were to offer one recommendation to a first time UCISA26 attendee, it would be this. Resist the urge to fill every moment. Some of the most valuable thinking happened between sessions, in corridor conversations, over coffee, or in the quiet moment of jotting something down before the next speaker began. Come with questions, not just an agenda. The summit rewards curiosity.
I am grateful to UCISA and to the PlusOne Bursary programme for making this possible. Experiences like this have a way of quietly shifting how you see your work, and I am still working out exactly how this one will shape mine.
