Our universities face a funding crisis. Fees of £9,250 are not sufficient to cover the costs of delivering higher education to the typical student. But many people, including many policymakers, do not believe this. They think it looks like quite a lot of money for modest contact hours and limited…
It has been said that the translation of research into profitable and impactful businesses is one of ‘Higher Education’s best-kept secrets’! University spinouts can bring to market cutting-edge research and technology, create jobs and contribute to economic growth. No matter which party wins the next general election, they will want…
At any time, but particularly in times of challenge, an executive team’s leadership of the university’s strategy is paramount. This strategy charts the path to achieving shared institutional vision and mission, embodies organisational identity, frames associated plans, informs targets and timeframes and, ultimately, is the measure of a Vice Chancellor…
In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, universities are increasingly embracing engagement dashboards and learner analytics as powerful tools in their quest to enhance student success. Internal and external drivers are propelling this shift, with academic institutions adopting early warning systems to efficiently identify students at risk. At Keele,…
This HEPI blog was authored by Isabelle Bristow, Managing Director UK and Europe at Studiosity, a HEPI Partner. Studiosity is a learning technology company, working with 100+ universities globally, serving 1.8 million university students across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Middle East. In order to better understand…
What keeps global academic leaders and funders awake at night? A recent report from publishers Elsevier tried to find out. Based on interviews with 115 institutional leaders undertaken in partnership with the market research company Ipsos, it found the main worries were securing funding, maintaining educational and research excellence, demonstrating…
It’s easy to criticise policies – such as the funding system for higher education in England. It’s far harder to offer something better that could be delivered in practice, given political and fiscal realities. HEPI’s latest report How should undergraduate degrees be funded? seeks to do just that. It has…
The landscape of international student recruitment in the UK has experienced a seismic shift from a period of unexpected prosperity post-Covid, to a challenging environment marked by political, financial, and societal changes. Universities that saw a surge in international enrolments due predominately to favourable external conditions and government policies are…
That the operating environment for UK universities is more uncertain than ever is now an accepted truth. The reasons for this are also well-known: domestically, universities face the ongoing erosion of their funding base, a challenging policy environment, and political inaction in the face of competing public sector priorities (as…
UK universities enjoy world-leading status, but the sector is not without its challenges. With a general election looming, and as UK higher education institutions look for solutions to overcome their challenges, the recently published Australian University Accord (Final Report) serves as a compelling example of what can be achieved when…