Participants grasping an opportunity unlike any other in the country join University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) this autumn. The Cambridge Better Futures programme unlocks the University’s minds, resources, research and connections to help established leaders change the world for good. It’s the first year-long course of its kind in the UK, and its new Chair, Professor Andy Neely OBE, explains how collaboration and community are key to its success.
As someone whose career highlights can’t be adequately summarised in a paragraph or two, Andy Neely is the perfect Chair for a programme working with experienced leaders. Prior to a sabbatical, Andy was Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and – among myriad other achievements – founding Director of Cambridge Service Alliance, Deputy Director of the Advanced Institute of Management (AIM) Research and co-founder of Anmut, a data valuation business.
Today, Andy is Professor of Manufacturing at Cambridge, a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College and multiple academies and associations, a recipient of the OBE for services to research and university-industry collaboration, the author of over 200 books and articles, and Non-Executive Director of Cambridge Innovation Capital.
“I’ve always been a boundary spanner who is comfortable working with groups across universities, businesses and the public sector, always focused on making a positive difference,” he reflects.
A mighty network for maximum impact
From early work on strategy and performance to leading networks and organisations, Andy has seen collaboration and community as key ingredients that enable teams to make change stick.
“As Pro-Vice Chancellor, I worked with departments and Colleges right across the University, and connecting the participants in the Better Futures programme into that Cambridge network will open doors and create opportunities,” believes Andy. “I’ll also be drawing on my time at AIM Research where we put a lot of effort into ensuring that cohorts of Fellows came together, shared knowledge and insight, and lifted the performance of individuals through their collective impact. That experience will be equally applicable to the Better Futures programme.”
The immersive, full-time programme, run jointly by PACE and the Centre for Better Futures at Downing College, is aimed at those who have experienced leadership success and are looking to make a bigger social impact, be that locally or globally.
“The people taking part in this opening year are great – it’s a really high-calibre international group from diverse, senior backgrounds in the public and private sectors,” observes Andy. “They’re all joining to reflect on how they want to spend the next 10 years of their lives, but the great thing about the programme is they’ll have a cohort of peers to support them in their reflections. I’ve no doubt the cohort will value and learn from each other, just as they’ll value and learn from the University and the University will value and learn from them.”
Full engagement in University life
Through the programme, learners gain extensive access to Cambridge’s world-leading facilities, expertise, ideas, and networks, while also becoming active members of one of the founding partner College communities: Downing, Homerton, Jesus, or St Edmund’s. Their bespoke study path will lead to a personalised 10-year vision of change coupled with the knowledge, skills and connections to realise it.
“The group will come together a couple of times a week for shared experiences through lectures, workshops or seminars on different themes,” explains Andy.” The rest of the time they’re free to experience the University in whatever way they want – sitting in on lectures as visiting scholars, participating in cultural or sporting activities, and so on. We really want them to be active in the University community but to choose their own pathway through Cambridge’s vast array of opportunities.
“The programme is well-designed and structured. The founding team, including the Academic Director Stewart McTavish and the programme co-founder Andy Phillipps, have done a great job, and I’m really pleased to be joining them to build on such strong foundations.”
Recruiting leaders for the next intake
While the inaugural cohort of around 20 participants kicks off its journey in September 2025, recruitment for 2026 – to include both six- and 12-month pathways – opens very soon, presenting more accomplished leaders with a chance to identify their transformative social purpose.
“The Better Futures programme is a really interesting development for the University of Cambridge,” observes Andy. “It involves thinking differently about the role of a university and bringing high-performing people together for a whole year to see how they can make the most useful long-term contribution to something they’re passionate about.
“It will be a life-changing experience for those taking part. Not just through the course of this single year, but long into to future as they join a powerful support group and alumni network that will leave its mark on Cambridge as well as on the wider world.”