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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, Josh Freeman, at [email protected].

  • Where and what did the Cabinet study?

    14 October 2022

    There has been much talk about the diversity of Liz Truss’s new Cabinet. Even US news outlet NPR reported: It is notable that for the first time in British history, none of the four most senior ministerial positions — prime minister, finance minister, foreign secretary and home secretary — have been…

  • Leadership and Learning are Indispensable to Each Other

    13 October 2022 by Lesley Dobree

    This blog was kindly contributed by Professor Lesley Dobree, Leadership Coach and Leadership Consultant/ Advisor  with the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE). The blog is the fourth in our series on leadership in partnership with NCEE. Being a consistently good and effective leader is not easy. In recent months, there has been…

  • Introducing the International Education Strategy for London

    12 October 2022 by Diana Beech

    This blog was kindly contributed by Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer, London Higher. In her closing speech at last week’s Conservative Party Conference, Prime Minister Liz Truss made it clear that her Government’s priority is all about growth. In the speech, Truss stressed the need for the UK to be ‘internationally…

  • Engineering technical roles fit for the future

    12 October 2022 by Richard Taylor and Julie Turner

    Midlands Innovation is a strategic research partnership of eight research intensive universities in the Midlands. Funding was awarded by Research England in 2020 for ‘TALENT’ – a transformation programme to advance status and opportunity for technical skills, roles and careers. The TALENT Commission report was published in 2022.  HEPI is running a series…

  • Supporting care leavers and estranged students in higher education

    11 October 2022 by Fiona Ellison

    Over the coming months, HEPI is partnering with the Unite Foundation to provide a platform for a series of blogs on supporting care leavers and estranged students in higher education. The first blog in the series was contributed by Fiona Ellison, Director of the Unite Foundation. Care leavers are one of the most…

  • What are taxi drivers and hotel receptionists saying about access to higher education?

    7 October 2022 by Lucy Haire

    HEPI’s Director of Partnerships, Lucy Haire, reflects on party conference season. Tariq (not his real name), the Warrington taxi driver who drove me the final 20 miles of my journey blighted by multiple train cancellations from London to the recent Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, asked what brought me northwards.…

  • Empowering technicians: our journey

    5 October 2022 by Sam Kingman

    Midlands Innovation is a strategic research partnership of eight research intensive universities in the Midlands. Funding was awarded by Research England in 2020 for ‘TALENT’ – a transformation programme to advance status and opportunity for technical skills, roles and careers. The TALENT Commission report was published in 2022. Professor Sam Kingman, Pro-Vice Chancellor…

  • How did COVID-19 impact staff in UK higher education?

    4 October 2022 by Rasha Kassem

    This blog was kindly contributed by Dr Rasha Kassem, research project team lead for ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Staff in UK Higher Education – A Comparative Analysis across the Four UK Nations’ at the Open University. The consequences of the pandemic have been immense and felt across society, industries, and organisations; however, little…