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The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) recently confronted a pressing challenge in the realm of education technology. Its University of London (International) programme students exhibited a reluctance to embrace the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as enthusiastically as expected. Feedback from students indicated that the existing VLE system…

A growing consensus suggests that the higher education (HE) funding system in England is not fit for purpose. It fails to meet the needs of students, graduates, universities, and business. Through both teaching and research, universities play a pivotal role in fostering the skills necessary to be competitive in the…

Policymakers want to get maximum value from the science system. Government invests in science and research, much of which, in the UK, is conducted in universities and in public sector research establishments (PSREs). A good return on this investment would be research which contributes towards a growing economy, supports technological…

There are many global challenges that we face. These include meeting net zero targets and building a workforce for the future. For example, having appropriate skills and talent pipelines in place to support a green transition. The same is in the health and social care sector, especially in the face…

Increasing flexibility is a common feature of the changes taking place in higher education, but how this is being done can differ considerably between institutions. It can provide students with more options, and with the challenges of choosing the right ones and the risks of choosing the wrong ones. And…

Higher education is changing. And so is the student experience. For a long time, students had to make two key decisions when applying to enter higher education:  choosing their subject and choosing their university. But today, the diversity and flexibility of higher education brings a lot more decisions for potential…

HEPI research suggests more universities are encouraging part-time work and that more students are undertaking paid employment to cope with the increased cost of living. Alongside this, research has documented the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on student belongingness, as decisions made from financial necessity can impact students’ connection and…

The modern PhD in the UK is usually dated to the years immediately after the First World War.  It is a relative latecomer then, and the complex articulation of a three-cycle process (undergraduate, masters, doctorate) through the Bologna Process is even more recent, and dates to the end of the…

Regulators Committee expressed surprise at the university regulator’s assessment that our finances are “in good shape”. To the contrary, the Committee were unequivocal that “the current model for funding higher education is unsustainable”. In a recent piece on this site, Dr Mark Corver presented an alternative model for funding higher…

As reported by The Times, the boss of one of the world’s most influential investment firms has called for “consistency” in the government’s business strategy, pointing out that Britain has had six chancellors and four prime ministers since 2019. On stage with Rishi Sunak at the government’s global investment summit…