We have – finally – today achieved something I have long wanted HEPI to do: we have taken a blank sheet of paper and worked out how much money students need to live on. By ‘need to live’ we don’t mean just avoiding poverty; nor do we mean living in plush comfort. We mean having around enough income to be safe, warm and decently fed, to be able to buy necessary course-related items and to be able to get involved with the non-academic side of university life, perhaps by joining a society or two. All the recent major pieces of work we have been able to find on student maintenance levels, such as ..read more

*** We are hosting a webinar on student maintenance support next Thursday 9th May: you can sign up here. *** This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Dr Kerr Castle, Quality Enhancement & Standards Specialist at the Quality Assurance Agency. Published last month, a HEPI Policy Note on ‘Non-continuation of students in the UK’ observed that continuation rates differ according to such factors as ethnicity, disability, deprivation and free school meals status. Also last month, Universities UK staged a conference on ‘Closing ethnicity awarding gaps’. Opening the event, Profes ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Rachael Gooberman-Hill, Co-chair of the UK Committee on Research Integrity, and Nandini Das, Maria Delgado, and Miles Padgett, members of the Committee. This piece is the latest in a series of HEPI blogs discussing REF2029. In March, we heard from the Executive Chair of Research England, Dame Professor Jessica Corner; and last week, we published this piece on small and specialist institutions from Emma Wakelin, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the Royal College of Art. As Co-chair and members of the UK Committee on Research Integrity ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Fariba Soetan, Head of Policy and Research at the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). As 13 nations across the Commonwealth head to the ballot box this year, and families, parents and citizens consider their priorities for the ensuing decade, attention turns towards the global effort to tackle world challenges, outlined in the UN sustainable development goals and slated for achievement by 2030 and beyond. Positioned at the forefront of this major task is higher education, assuming a pivotal role in shaping the world’s response through leaders ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Dr Shadi Hijazi, Principal Consultant at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Businesses are hungry for AI-powered growth, students eagerly adopt new tools, and the ethical compass risks getting lost in the scramble. But in the midst of an artificial intelligence gold rush, can universities ensure everyone plays fair? AI is no longer a buzzword in lectures. Nearly 80% of students surveyed in the QS Generative AI Student Pulse Survey 2023 use AI platforms for their studies. But enthusiasm is tempered; many students recognise the need for caution to ensure AI’s positi ..read more

This longer HEPI blog was kindly authored by John Raftery, Principal at John Raftery & Associates, and Susan Lea, Founder and Principal at Sagewood Consulting. HEPI is hosting a webinar on student maintenance support next Thursday 9th May to mark the launch of a major new report. You can sign up here. Incoming Vice Chancellors (VCs)- who are also Chief Executive Officers in the UK – face a chorus of voices jockeying for position, stakes and interest.  It is sometimes also the case that the university has run into difficulty, for example with student outcomes, research, or financial ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly written by Emma Wakelin, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the Royal College of Art. (X/Twitter: @Emma_Wakelin) This piece is the latest in a series of HEPI blogs discussing REF2029. In March, we heard from the Executive Chair of Research England, Dame Professor Jessica Corner: you can read her piece here. Since the first hint last year of proposed changes to key parts of the next Research Excellence Framework (REF2029), many in the sector have been eagerly awaiting further details. Working in a small, specialist institution, I welcome the propose ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Priya Madina, Director of External Affairs and Policy at Taylor & Francis. The London Book Fair 2024 shed light on numerous critical issues currently impacting the publishing industry. On March 14th, I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion addressing one of the most recent and swiftly evolving changes—generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). By harnessing the power of AI responsibly: researchers, publishers, and policymakers can foster a more transparent, equitable, and trustworthy research environment. However, it’s essential to a ..read more

This guest blog has been kindly written for HEPI by Roger Watson, Academic Dean, School of Nursing, Southwest Medical University, China and outgoing President of the National Conference of University Professors. This piece is a review of Pathways to professorship: a toolkit for success by Marily Leask (2023) published by Routledge, London. Asking an established professor how they arrived at that position can be like asking a centipede to explain how it walks. Those of us who got here were often too busy doing the kind of work that got us here to keep note of the steps and strategies. In fact ..read more

This HEPI blog was kindly written by the Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University and Chief Executive of LSBU Group, Professor David Phoenix. Has regulation of higher education gone too far? Those in Government would say certainly not and most likely point at the National Audit Office’s recent report on student loan fraud at franchised providers or explain that – given higher interest rates have increased the cost of funding the student loans system in England by £10bn a year – successful graduate outcomes are crucial to keeping the system affordable. Ask those in the sector ..read more