This HEPI blog was authored by Famke Veenstra-Ashmore. Famke has recently graduated with a Master’s degree in English from the University of Cambridge and is currently undertaking an internship with HEPI. Cancelled A levels I was part of the cohort whose A level examinations were cancelled during the 2020 Covid lockdowns. Teacher-assessed or algorithm-determined grades were handed out in place of real marks – leading to chaotic scenes as students failed to meet university offers or universities became so oversubscribed some students had to defer their places. Fortunately, my Cambridge colleg ..read more

This long read was kindly authored for HEPI by Gill Evans, Emeritus Professor of Medieval Theology and Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge. Her article explores the evolving value of degrees in English higher education, focusing on the competence of degree-granting institutions and the implications of recent changes in degree-awarding powers. The ‘value’ of a degree has been the subject of active recent debate, but chiefly with reference to what a degree costs a student in tuition fees and maintenance loans, and what it offers by way of employment prospects. Less has been sai ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Professor Chris Ponting, Chair of Medical Bioinformatics and a Principal Investigator at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh, and Cristina Martin, also at the University of Edinburgh and Project Manager at the X-Net Interdisciplinary Network. Two University academics put in a room will soon ask each other: ‘What do you do?’ This is most often a question of identity and belonging: In what discipline were you trained? To which community do you belong? It is also a question of power and status: Are th ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Andrew Woon, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management at Queen Mary University of London. Promotion for academics, especially those on teaching and scholarship (T&S) pathways, is fraught with challenges. Unlike research output, which can be easily measured through journal rankings, citations, and research income, the impact of teaching and scholarship is harder to quantify, making progression criteria poorly defined across the higher education sector. Current promotion practices present significant obstacles for T&S academics. The lack of transpar ..read more

This blog was kindly authored for HEPI by Annabelle Earps, Digital PR Manager at The Workplace Depot. In today’s dynamic digital environment, the changes occurring in marketing and public relations (PR) are particularly significant and complex relative to other sectors. As businesses increasingly turn to digital platforms to engage with their audiences, the need for professionals adept in digital marketing and PR strategies is growing rapidly. This raises an important question: should higher education courses in marketing and PR adapt to this digital era to better prepare students for the sp ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy at UCAS. Sign up now for our webinar with Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Executive of UCAS, taking place on Tuesday 13 August ahead of exam results day later that week. Full details are here. In the same way that opinion polling predicted how the public was likely to vote at this month’s UK general election, UCAS’s June 30 Deadline data offers a strong steer on what demand for higher education may look like come the start of term. Hundreds of thousands of students on SQA and JCQ Level 3 results days will be getting their results and ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Dr Giles A.F. Carden, Chief of Staff & Chief Strategy Officer and the University of Southampton. He writes here in a personal capacity. At a recent HEPI Partners’ dinner, Sir Anthony Seldon cited his new book coauthored with Tom Egerton ‘The Conservative Effect 2010-2014 – 14 Wasted Years?’ He provided some thoughts on what in higher education had changed for better or worse during this period. It will not have gone unnoticed that higher education barely featured in the 6 week election campaign and reflecting on this, Sir Anthony went on to encourage ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Professor Paul Marshall, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Careers and Enterprise) at the University of East London. At the recent Universities UK (UUK) Conference on Higher Education Regulation, I was invited to contribute to a session exploring institutional approaches to managing UK franchising. This topic is close to my heart, given my role in developing and managing our UK and global partnership network at the University of East London (UEL). UK higher education franchising is under scrutiny following the January 2024 National Audit Office report, which suggeste ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Leigh Kamolins, Director of Analytics & Evaluation at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. What matters to students continues to evolve as the world around them changes. Through QS data and analytics – including the International Student Survey which collates the perspectives and motivations of over 115,000 international students annually – it is becoming clear that a greater awareness of environmental and social sustainability issues is leading to growing expectations on universities to act. Impact and influence on sustainability is emerging as a key factor in ..read more

This blog is contributed by Dr Gert Jan Sheurwater, Director of Strategy and Foresight at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and Mike Boxall, an independent consultant and regular contributor to HEPI blogs. It is not difficult, with the power of hindsight, to identify the three Grey Rhinos, and institutions’ responses to them, that have underpinned the current crisis facing UK universities.  Grey Rhinos are defined as “highly probable, high impact but yet neglected” systemic disruptions; they are not random surprises (like Black Swan events) but occur after clear warnings ..read more