The HEPI Blog aims to make brief, incisive contributions to the higher education policy landscape. It is circulated to our subscribers and published online. We welcome guest submissions, which should follow our Instructions for Blog Authors. Submissions should be sent to our Blog Editor, Josh Freeman, at [email protected].
Slow thinking A few years ago, there was a vogue for ‘slow thinking’, ‘slow food’ and even for a whole ‘slow movement’, all of which were aimed at reducing the pace of life down. In recent years, people watching UK higher education policy might well have felt the idea was…
This blog was kindly contributed by Dr Kate Mori, Quality and Standards Specialist at the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Kate is working on the update of Education for Sustainable Development Guidance. You can find Kate on Twitter @katemori1. The Education for Sustainable Development Guidance is being updated by an expert…
This blog was kindly contributed by Professor Dave Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor at London South Bank University. You can find Dave on Twitter @David_PhoenixVC Most significant in the Prime Minister’s speech at Exeter College in September last year was the suggestion that further education colleges will be given access to the main…
This blog was kindly contributed by Professor Paul Layzell, Principal, Royal Holloway University of London and former Chair of AQA. You can find Paul on Twitter @RHULPrincipal. Three years after the creation of the Office for Students (OfS), has higher education’s regulator come of age? When formed, I shared the…
This blog was kindly contributed by Vivienne Stern, Director of Universities UK International (UUKi). Previously on the HEPI website, Vivienne contributed the second chapter to the essay collection, ‘UK Universities and China’ which was published in July 2020. You can find Vivienne on Twitter @viviennestern. Professor David Carter’s blog Five…
This blog was kindly contributed by Professor Graham Galbraith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth. What should universities expect in 2021? Quietly, and piece-by-piece, significant changes are emerging. Together, they suggest that the Government might be determined to put short-term labour-market need at the heart of our higher education system.…
This blog was kindly contributed by Julia Pieza, a recent Oxford University graduate with a degree in History and Politics. Julia hopes to pursue a career in public policy with an interest in EU-UK relations, education and social mobility. The end of the Brexit transition period in January 2021 brings…
This blog by Dennis Sherwood considers the latest twists in school and college pupils’ assessments for 2021. Ofqual’s newly-appointed Chief Regulator, Simon Lebus, recently stated his commitment to ‘supporting “innovation” in assessment’. Now that that school exams have been cancelled in England, there is an opportunity for him to do just that. …
This blog was kindly contributed by Professor Sir Chris Husbands and Natalie Day, Sheffield Hallam University and host of the Civic University Network, with Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation. You can find Chris, Natalie and Richard on Twitter @Hallam_VC , @natalieday1 and @richardbrabner. The first week of 2021…
This blog was kindly contributed by Professor Vikki Boliver and Dr Mandy Powell, Department of Sociology, Durham University. You can find Vikki on twitter @VikkiBoliver What do academically selective universities mean by fair admission? In a new research report funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Fair Admission to Universities in England:…