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

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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].

  • We need more than workshops to support the wellbeing of PhD researchers

    27 November 2020 by Ellie Crabtree

    This blog was kindly contributed by University Alliance’s Programmes Administrator Dr Ellie Crabtree, who supports the delivery of their Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA). Ellie completed a PhD in Italian Studies at the University of St Andrews at the start of 2020. You can find her on Twitter @evcrabtree This time…

  • Browne, COVID and the Humanities. What next?

    26 November 2020 by Gabriel Roberts

    This blog was contributed by Gabriel Roberts, who was a doctoral student in English when the Browne Report was published in October 2010. Since then, he has conducted research on writing about the value of the Humanities in the period 2010 to 2014. It is now just over 10 years…

  • ‘Adjust your projects’: UKRI’s announcement is a red flag for research

    25 November 2020 by Chris Brasnett

    This blog was kindly contributed by Chris Brasnett, former Postgraduate Education Officer at the University of Bristol Students’ Union (2019-2020). Chris is completing a PhD in membrane biophysics at the University of Bristol and you can find him on Twitter @csbrasnett Increasingly, there is a question at the heart of…

  • Five questions currently on the minds of university recruitment teams

    23 November 2020 by Sander Kristel

    Today’s blog was written by Sander Kristel, UCAS Chief Operations Officer. You can find Sander on Twitter @SKristel1 As Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali all pass and the Christmas countdown starts, admissions professionals usually begin to get a feeling for how the rest for the undergraduate cycle will pan out…

  • PQA: examining pre-existing systems and if they fit the UK context

    20 November 2020 by David Hawkins

    This blog was contributed by David Hawkins, Founder of ‘The University Guys’. You can find David on twitter at @UniGuyDavid. HEPI and The University Guys are hosting an event on ‘Should more UK students consider higher education in Europe?’ with university speakers from Ireland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.…

  • School exams don’t have to be fair – that’s official

    19 November 2020 by Dennis Sherwood

    This blog was contributed by Dennis Sherwood who has previously written about A levels. At the Education Select Committee hearing on 2 September, Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, Dame Glenys Stacey, acknowledged that exam grades are ‘reliable to one grade either way’. Two weeks later, at the hearing on 16 September, Gavin…

  • How the Government should reset its relationship with universities

    18 November 2020 by Richard Brabner

    This blog was kindly contributed by Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation. This article is written in a personal capacity and is not the view of the UPP Foundation.  Over the last few days, newspapers have been full of stories and insight into what the changes in No. 10…