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].
As the UK approaches its next general election, both the Labour and Conservative Party manifestos outline various educational reforms. However, neither adequately addresses the critical need for a robust strategy to integrate AI education into our schools and universities. Schools are important in this debate as they impact the pipeline…
About a third of applicants think it likely that they will not take up their place at university. Their feelings – and the reasons for them – may provide the key not only to conversions of applicants, but also to addressing early-stage withdrawals. The Applicant Index, now in its third…
‘Higher education isn’t a doorstep issue,’ say experts about the 2024 UK General Election. The main concerns for most people are the cost of living, the NHS, housing and immigration. If education is a consideration at all, it is schools that are seen as the priority, with preschools and childcare…
What does sustainability really mean for the planet, for society, for universities and their students? The word sustainability is used widely in higher education but like many other concepts commonplace in the sector (e.g., employability, quality, student voice), its meaning is a slippery one. It means different things to different…
In the gap between education and industry, there is an expectation that students’ demands for skills will align seamlessly with the dynamics of the workplace. Reports such as The Future of Jobs 2023 by the World Economic Forum and the QS Skills Gap Report emphasise the importance of both technical and soft skills,…
The Quality Assurance Agency has today published the new edition of the UK Quality Code. The previous edition was published in 2018. The Quality Code is a key reference point for the HE sector. It articulates the principles of UK higher education for securing academic standards and assuring and enhancing…
This blog draws on the evidence review from the Review of the Economic and Social Value Produced through Funding PhD Students report as part of the National Civic Impact Accelerator. The four main audiences for this blog are: directors of research institutes or funding bodies leading or developing PhD programmes;…
What are students’ perceptions of artificial intelligence? The HEPI report: Provide or punish? Students’ views on generative AI in higher education surveyed over 1,000 UK undergraduate students on their views. The survey was completed in November 2023, and the paper was published in February 2024. The report found that: Knee-jerk…
Higher education is the hidden issue in the current UK general election campaign. One of the few references to the sector has come from the Conservative Party talking point about what they consider to be ‘low value’ or ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees (despite Disney’s success in creating $183 billion of market…
The carbon cost of higher education Universities and higher education (HE) institutions have an important role to play in meeting carbon reduction targets. In 2021, over one thousand universities and HE colleges worldwide pledged to become completely carbon neutral by 2050, with some institutions aiming to decarbonise as quickly as…