Lewis Wilson, the current Education and Employability Officer at the University of Sussex Students’ Union, has been elected Vice President for Higher Education (England) at the National Union of Students (NUS) for the 2026 to 2028 term.
The result was announced at the NUS national conference in March 2026. Lewis will succeed Alex Stanley, who held the position from 2024 to 2026. The Vice President for Higher Education leads national campaigning, policy development and representation for university students. The role works with government, universities and regulators to advocate for students’ interests, with a focus on issues such as the cost of living, student funding, welfare and the quality of education.
Speaking after the election, Lewis said:
“I am incredibly proud to have been elected as Vice President for Higher Education at NUS. Students across the UK are facing huge pressures, from rising living costs to the increasing marketisation of education, and they deserve a national movement that is bold, organised and prepared to fight for them.”
He continued:
“Sussex has always been a university rooted in radical and progressive thought, and that spirit shaped the way I approach student representation. At a time when higher education is under pressure to become more market-driven and less critical, that tradition of challenging power and imagining something better is exactly what the sector needs.”
A record of campaigning at Sussex
During his time as Education and Employability Officer at Sussex Students’ Union, Lewis has led several campaigns and policy changes aimed at improving the student experience.
Working with students and campaign groups, he helped secure changes to university policy to allow greater flexibility for working students. He also supported the delivery of a Socially Responsible Investment Policy, which has divested millions of pounds from companies considered unethical.
Other achievements during his time in office include helping students save more than £500,000 in bus fares by securing reduced student ticket prices, and working with the university to freeze rents on some of the most affordable student accommodation in order to keep education accessible.
Lewis has also continued to support liberation groups at Sussex and has worked to connect their campaigns to the wider national student movement. At a national level, he has advocated for the NUS to cut ties with organisations believed to have links with settler colonial practices and to support divestment across the education sector.
Representing students nationally
In his new role, Lewis will represent university students across England and work with government ministers, university leaders and higher education regulators on the major issues facing the sector.
The National Union of Students is the national confederation of student unions in the United Kingdom. Founded more than 100 years ago, around 600 students’ unions are affiliated with NUS, representing more than 7 million students across higher and further education.
All registered students at the University of Sussex and Brighton and Sussex Medical School are automatically members of the University of Sussex Students’ Union. Through this affiliation they are also part of NUS, connecting Sussex students to one of the largest student movements in the world.
Read more about what Lewis hopes to accomplish here.