Skip to content
The UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

HEPI Guest Post

  • Watch those summer courses closely…

    4 June 2020 by Gavin Dodsworth

    This blog was kindly contributed by Gavin Dodsworth, Director of the University Language Centre at the University of Manchester. Gavin is writing in a personal capacity. As UK universities scenario-plan, best-case / worst-case worry and fast-track five-year online plans into a quick three months, there is one part of the…

  • How can we assure quality in online higher education?

    3 June 2020 by David LeFevre

    This blog was kindly contributed by Dr David LeFevre, Director of the EdTech Lab at Imperial College and the founder of higher education platform company Insendi, part of Study Group. Last month a subtle warning shot was shot across the bows of universities still struggling to manage the disruption caused…

  • Widening participation: advocacy is as great a challenge as delivery

    2 June 2020 by Graeme Atherton

    This blog has been kindly contributed by Dr Graeme Atherton, Director of the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON). With the exception of those working on international student recruitment, no professional community in higher education was left scratching their head by the challenges of Covid-19 more than those in widening access…

  • No test is better than a bad test

    1 June 2020 by Dennis Sherwood

    This blog was kindly contributed by Dennis Sherwood. Dennis has previously written on this years’ school exams and Ofqual, among other topics. I write this having just read an article in The Guardian about the condemnation by doctors for the ‘shroud of secrecy’ thrown by ministers and Public Health England…

  • WEEKEND READING: Enough with the one-dimensional employability discourse

    30 May 2020 by Audrey Songhurst

    This piece was kindly contributed by Dr Audrey Songhurst, former Head of Operations in Kent Innovation and Enterprise, University of Kent. Audrey was awarded a Doctorate in Education from Canterbury Christ Church University and her thesis was entitled ‘Employability through a philosophical lens – a conceptual analysis’. One of the…

  • In the wake of a global pandemic, will students look closer to home?

    29 May 2020 by Richard O'Kelly & Carys Fisher

    This blog was kindly contributed by Richard O’Kelly, Head of Analytical Data, UCAS and Carys Fisher, Senior Policy Executive, UCAS. ‘Going away to university’ is engrained in our culture The UK’s student population is not constrained to studying at a local university, as is typically the case in the rest…

  • Pitching in, not just bailing out – by Margot James of the Warwick Manufacturing Group

    27 May 2020 by Margot James

    This blog was kindly contributed by Margot James, Executive Chair of Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick. She previously served as Minister of State for Digital and Creative Industries and as Minister for Small Business. I joined Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick as…

  • Why UK universities must win a better funding settlement

    25 May 2020 by Lucian J Hudson

    This blog was written by Lucian J. Hudson, Lead Author, Universities at the Crossroads, and past Director of Communications, University of Oxford and The Open University. In my report for Policy Exchange published in February before Coronavirus moved centre stage, I warned that the higher education sector was not yet…

  • WEEKEND READING: Leading and Containing in Higher Education during Covid-19

    23 May 2020 by Charlotte Williams

    This piece was kindly contributed by Charlotte Williams, a qualified organisational consultant, counsellor, trainer and clinical supervisor at Tavistock Consulting. Charlotte has over 17 years of experience in higher education and was previously head of a London University Counselling Service and has a particular interest in staff and organisational wellbeing.…