The idea for the Philosophy and Theory of Higher Education Society originated with meetings and discussions between a small group of scholars who all saw the need for a society that could help promote and sustain the efforts of scholars working in the field of philosophy and theory of higher education. This group has continued to develop this work by founding PaTHES as an international learned society; organising and running an inaugural major conference (held at Aarhus University, Denmark, in November 2017, and at Middlesex University, London, UK, 2018); planning for the Society’s conference to be held on an annual basis, and by establishing a link with Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education (edited by John Petrovic) as the Society’s associated journal.