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].
To ensure sustainable research streams, university management should support research groups by fostering innovation, collaboration, leadership, and resilience while addressing key questions about research goals, methodologies, and visibility.
This article was kindly authored for HEPI by Louise Banahene, Director of Educational Engagement and Student Success at the University of Leeds. We’re all familiar with the importance of widening access to undergraduate study. We have regulation to ensure there is due attention and, where there are gaps, higher education…
Franchising and partnership provision in higher education offer valuable opportunities for widening access, but recent scrutiny has highlighted the need for stronger governance and risk management, prompting sector bodies to develop frameworks and resources to ensure quality and protect students.
Chancellors, often seen as ceremonial, play varying roles across British universities, raising questions about their relevance and how they contribute to institutional leadership and reputation.
Student number caps in Scotland limit access, particularly for widening participation students, highlighting the need for flexibility in higher education recruitment to ensure diverse student choice and opportunity.
As students struggle with rising living costs and inadequate support, universities must explore how EdTech and online learning can alleviate financial burdens and improve student outcomes.
Business schools can strengthen their research culture by adopting a three-step organisational change model, focusing on faculty support, academic citizenship, and celebrating research success to sustain long-term productivity.
**Excerpt:** Higher education institutions must address the impact of child poverty on both current and future students, while also improving employment practices to help reduce poverty among their staff and their families.
A new Labour Government must engage in a candid conversation about the future of higher education, recognising the need for proper investment and clarity on the sector's direction to maintain quality.
Facing a funding crisis and demographic challenges, higher education in the UK must consider pragmatic reforms, from index-linking tuition fees to reintroducing student number caps, to ensure its survival and sustainability.