I really enjoyed my time at the STARS conference, particularly as a first time presenter. The conversations were stimulating, the community was welcoming and the issues being discussed were fundamental to students and their experience.

The STARS conference - Students, Transition, Achievement, Retention, Success – is all about the next generation of university students and how we, their teachers and advisers, work to enable their success in higher education. STARS is a great opportunity for those people working in higher education to know more about how to assist good learning and progress for students, particularly those who encounter various challenges. Whether you have been teaching or supporting students for years or are new to the higher education world, the STARS conference will leave you refreshed and prepared for whatever comes your way on campus.

It was such a treat to finally be part of the STARs conference in 2022. The event has always produced such interesting ideas and papers (via the journal) that we had looked on with interest from the other side of the world. It was so exciting to finally attend the conference as keynote speakers. Emily had highlighted the rich content and discussions from her experience as a delegate in 2016. The advent of COVID brought one blessing for us both – an online version of such an exciting conference and a chance to participate from the UK. The event and issues at the forefront of student success, gave us an opportunity to talk about our own passion for third space working in this context. We managed to have some great conversations and the event was abundant with ideas and practices that we can now share in our own settings.

STARS is one of those 'must be there' conferences! It's over a decade since I first attended an earlier iteration of STARS, and the conference has gone from strength to strength over this time. It has established a reputation as a trendsetter regarding our thinking about student success. Next year's conference is no exception. I will certainly promote the event amongst my European colleagues, as so much contemporary literature in this area comes from Australia and New Zealand. Brisbane is going to be the place to be in '23!

STARS is one of those rare treats – a conference that brings together practitioners, academics, managers, students and sponsors into a genuine and enthusiastic community of learning. Ordinarily one is pleased to walk away from a conference with one or two pearls of wisdom and perhaps a valuable new contact. At STARS you’ll find a galaxy of these treasures. The focus on students is paramount, the quality of contributions (from stage and floor) exceptional, and the networking opportunities extensive. I can’t recommend STARS highly enough!

Over my forty years in higher education, I have attended scores of conferences around the world, but I never witnessed an event of the quality of the STARS conference held in Adelaide, South Australia in July 2017. I could write pages about the professionalism and dedication of the organizers, fellows, and event staff, but what really impressed me the most was the extraordinary passion and commitment that the presenters and participants so obviously have for the care and well-being of students. It was inspiring, and I am taking home many new ideas and an even stronger belief that students and their learning should be the primary focus of universities.