On Wednesday 20 March 2024, HEPI and Advance HE host their second in-person seminar of the 2024 series at the Houses of Parliament, looking ahead to the forthcoming general election.
It is over 25 years since the UK shifted decisively from right to left at a general election, but the polls are indicating this could soon happen again. How should higher education institutions respond? Can they use their expertise to help politicians build workable programmes for government? Should they work equally with all major political parties or focus much more on those politicians they expect to enter office? What part can the higher education sector play in encouraging free and fair debate while fighting for their own interests? What should institutions do, if anything, to encourage electoral registration, turnout and lively evidence-based debate in the heat of a campaign? How neutral should the higher education sector be at moments of key democratic shifts? And what is the election likely to mean for the future of higher education?
With guest speakers:
- Professor Nick Pearce, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Bath (and former Director of the IPPR and former Head of the No10 Policy Unit)
- Professor Philip Lord Norton of Louth, Professor of Government and Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies at the University of Hull
- Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner at Public First