Working together: social enterprises and universities
Universities have always had a strong social mission to work with and support their local communities. Now more than ever, universities are demonstrating how they add economic and social value – to their local communities and beyond – as well as ensuring that their graduates have the necessary skills to move into employment. Working with social enterprise is one way in which universities are doing both these things. (more…)
Queen’s Speech: what’s in it for higher education?
No Higher Education Bill
Last year’s White Paper Students at the Heart of the System promised us a Higher Education Bill in this parliamentary session. It has not materialised.
That’s no great surprise, given last week’s local election results. Liberal Democrats were reluctant to go anywhere near legislation which might reopen old wounds over fees, even before the collapse in the Lib Dem vote. The question now is, what are the chances the appetite for the Bill will return any time this side of a general election? (more…)
London 2012: How universities support ‘the greatest show on earth’
The primary reason for organising Universities Week is to demonstrate the wider benefits that our universities bring to the country – covering issues that quite often go completely unnoticed by the mainstream media and the general public.
One of those issues is the integral role that universities have played in the preparation for London 2012, and this year’s campaign has left us with a rich picture of what our universities have done to support ‘the greatest show on earth’. (more…)
Give us your thoughts on the research integrity concordat
You don’t have to look for long to discover that UK research enjoys a world-class reputation. We punch well above our weight. The UK has less than 1% of the world’s population, but we undertake 5% of global research and produce about 14% of the most highly-cited papers. As we have previously reported in this blog, we’re also one of the most effective sectors compared to our competitors. In a global economy that relies heavily on innovation and a knowledge economy, it stands to reason that all those involved with research do everything possible to maintain the quality that makes us a major player. (more…)
The facts behind those “Going Dutch” headlines
Universities in the UK continue to attract significant numbers of internationally mobile students, from other EU countries and worldwide, providing a truly international study environment.
The media has recently been giving a lot of attention to the idea that an increasing number of British students are opting to venture overseas to pursue an alternative higher education in the Netherlands. (more…)
Are British students really flocking to Dutch universities?
Of all the hackneyed headlines relating to higher education in the national newspapers, “University Challenge” must surely be the most wearisomely overused. But we now have an upstart nipping at its heels: “Going Dutch”. Leaving aside the lamentable lack of imagination inherent in this headline, what is remarkable are the distortions in the articles that follow. (more…)
Budget 2012: Money is tight, but universities do have a role in UK recovery
There’s not a lot of money around at the moment, as everyone knows. So we are rather pleased that the Government has managed to come up with a small amount for university capital projects in today’s Budget.
George Osborne announced £100m matched funding for joint university-business capital projects. A ratio of 2:1 private to public funding means that the fund could support up to £300 million investment in infrastructure for research, across the UK.
It’s not a lot, but it is an important recognition that there has been a problem with the withdrawal of capital investment for research. It’s also a welcome signal that Government understands how important universities are for economic growth. (more…)
Don’t dwell on the past – we must be ambitious to succeed in this brave new world
A retrospective outlook in the higher education sector is damaging the UK’s economic growth and global competitiveness, asserts Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK
Universities in the UK are outstandingly strong on many measures, including: teaching and research, business-industry links and driving social mobility. However, they are operating in an increasingly competitive environment, both nationally and globally. To survive and flourish in the new world order, we have to ensure that our line of vision is set forwards and outwards, not backwards – but that does not always happen. (more…)
Successful partnerships between universities and charities are vital, now more than ever
All too often, the value of higher education is assessed solely in economic terms: how much money universities produce for the individual, for business and for the wider economy. Critical though these considerations are, they tend to ignore the huge public good that universities generate, both locally and nationally.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t celebrate the economic contribution universities make. Our recent report Driving Economic Growth did just this and the picture is impressive.
But let’s not forget the other ways universities make significant contributions to our society. Universities have a long and proud record of partnering with the charity sector. Volunteering, mentoring, knowledge transfer, and outreach activities are just a few of the areas where universities and charities work together successfully. (more…)
International students are good for universities and good for the UK
For me, the main question at today’s Universities UK debate on immigration was the extent to which universities’ plans for growth in international recruitment – both student and staff – can be squared with government efforts to bring down net migration to below 100,000.
Glyn Williams, speaking for the Home Office, asked what the sector’s long term projections were, and called for discussion about what might be an acceptable level: Half a million? 1 million? 2 million? (more…)
