The UK’s longest serving vice-chancellor says ‘the real challenges are only now emerging’

In a new paper written for the Higher Education Policy Institute, Five Decades: One Lens – A view from the rear stalls, the longest serving university leader in the country, Dr John Cater, tells the story of Edge Hill University.

Dr Cater reveals how his institution went from being a small teacher training college in central Liverpool named after a local street sign, which was then battered by wartime exigencies, to become Edge Hill University. After gaining University Title in 2006, it became the first ‘new new’ university to win the prestigious Times Higher Education University of the Year Award in 2014.

As he steps back after 30 years leading Edge Hill University, Dr Cater explains how the institution was able to thrive, sometimes against the odds, but he also warns about the current crisis facing higher education.

In the new Policy Note, Dr Cater writes:

‘While there is a lot of justified “noise” around projected deficits and institutional futures, the real challenges are only now emerging. With every passing week, the state of the economy looks increasingly parlous; and, while the mood music from an incoming Government may have sounded sweeter, no one is dancing.

‘In a priority sequence, health, social care, defence, all outflank education. And across education, it is hard to mount a compelling case for higher education to be prioritised over nursery provision or the early years of schooling or further education or any area where the state has a statutory obligation. …

‘If the Government effectively tackles the recruitment and retention challenges blighting the public sector, making those professions attractive once again, institutions like Edge Hill will benefit proportionally.’

Nick Hillman, HEPI Director, said:

‘John Cater has had an amazing career leading Edge Hill from being a College serving local needs into a fully fledged university with a world-class campus, an excellent record on teaching students and a broad range of degrees. I often urge edu-sceptics to pay his institution a visit for it has a tendency to change people’s minds on the potential of newer universities to transform lives.

‘As he steps back from senior university leadership, John Cater is right to warn policymakers of the obstacles ahead. Yet if we are to have improved economic growth, more social mobility and a better educated workforce, it is regional powerhouses like Edge Hill that will have to do much of the heavy lifting. They stand ready to do so – just so long as they are properly resourced and given the space to play to their strengths.’

Notes for Editors

1. Dr John Cater was the longest serving university leader in the UK when he retired in early 2025 from his post as Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University. During his 30 years in charge, Edge Hill was transformed into a modern institution that has advanced further and faster in the national league tables than any other UK university. Awarded a Gold for Student Experience in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework exercise, Edge Hill has invested over £350 million in the physical infrastructure of its award-winning north-west campus in line with John’s vision to create a place where students can live, learn and belong. Dr Cater’s previous HEPI paper on the history of teacher training in the UK, Whither Teacher Education and Training? (HEPI Report 95), was published in April 2017.
2. HEPI was founded in 2002 to influence the higher education debate with evidence. We are UK-wide, independent and non-partisan. We are funded by organisations and higher education institutions that wish to support vibrant policy discussions, as well as through our own events. HEPI is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.