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

Blog

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, Rose Stephenson, at [email protected]

  • Future of University Global Engagement Strategies

    14 October 2019 by Vincenzo Raimo

    This blog was kindly contributed by Vincenzo Raimo, Visiting Fellow in the International Study and Language Institute at the University of Reading and Adjunct Professor of Global Higher Education at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. In 1997, I wrote an opinion piece for the Times Higher Education…

  • When does higher education demonstrate its value?

    11 October 2019 by Rachel Hewitt

    This blog was written by HEPI’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, Rachel Hewitt. The issue of whether students are getting good value for money has been a focus since fees came into play but has been increasingly under the policy spotlight in recent months. Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State…

  • Taking the detective work out of supporting mental health and wellbeing

    10 October 2019 by Catherine Grout

    This guest blog for World Mental Health Day was kindly contributed by Catherine Grout, Head of Change – service development, and lead on work around mental health and wellbeing at UK education technology company, Jisc. Over the past few months I feel like I’ve been an amateur detective. Every day…

  • It’s not (yet?) true that half of young people go to university

    9 October 2019 by Peter Brant

    This guest blog was kindly contributed by Peter Brant, Senior Policy Manager at The Open University.  There was much excitement at the end of September as the latest Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) data apparently showed that Tony Blair’s ambitious target for “50 per cent of young adults going into higher education” by 2010 had finally been achieved, seven years behind schedule. Opinions were…

  • White Elephant #7: Looking the elephant in the eye – a few thoughts

    7 October 2019 by Fiona Ross

    This guest blog was kindly contributed by Fiona Ross, Professor in the Joint Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education at Kingston University and St George’s, University of London and independent governor at Westminster University. This HEPI collection of essays, written from multiple perspectives, is an excellent contribution to our…

  • The future of free tuition fees for all

    4 October 2019 by Rachel Hewitt

    During their recent party conference, Labour reaffirmed their promise to remove tuition fees. At an (excellent) Million Plus and NUS event I attended, the audience and fellow panellists quizzed Gordon Marsden, Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Skills on what this would mean for universities. Marsden confirmed two…

  • Show me the (value for) money!

    3 October 2019 by Paul Gratrick

    This blog was kindly contributed by Paul Gratrick, Faculty Business Partner at the University of Liverpool’s Careers service where he has been researching value for money at an institutional level. Despite Universities Minsters currently playing the hokey-cokey with their role, the questioning of the value for money of higher education…

  • Commuting students – enhancing a different student experience

    27 September 2019 by Sal Jarvis

    This guest blog is kindly contributed by Dr Sal Jarvis, Pro Vice Chancellor, Education and Student Experience at the University of Hertfordshire. It is the start of a new academic year. As staff thoughts turn to course induction and as Students Unions plan Freshers’ events, new students are rolling up…