Paul Greatrix

My Imaginary University

Education EN ↓ 32 episodes

An exciting higher ed podcast brought to you by Dr Paul Greatrix in which a notable sector figure is asked to create and describe their ideal imaginary university. My Imaginary University is a sort of Desert Island Universities concept but without the desert island, the music, the book or the luxury. Will their imaginary university be a bit Christminster, rather Rummidge-like or more in the Manchester Medlock mould? You'll have to listen to find out. And to discover what kind of VC our guest will be and what their university's anthem is.

Author

Paul Greatrix

Episodes

S1 Ep7: Episode 7: A unique student experience at Good Times University 29.04.2023 40:46

In the latest podcast in the My Imaginary University series Eve Alcock , Head of Public Affairs at the Quality Assurance Agency, and Jim Dickinson , Associate Editor at Wonkhe, present their vision for a rather different kind of HE institution. This university, whilst definitely a campus operation, provides for students primarily on a short intensive block basis, thereby combining both residential...

S1 Ep6: Episode 6: A Bright Sunshiny Day at Founders U 21.04.2023 39:26

In this latest episode of the podcast sector legend Mary Curnock Cook dreams up a challenger institution which is something she wants to turn from imaginary to real. Whilst the branding might need some work, Founders University (FU?) is going to offer a distinctive prospectus for ambitious entrepreneurs, students who want to start their own companies or indeed want to learn about funding others' s...

S1 Ep5: Episode 5: Federal University Fun at Wrottesley-Rummidge 19.02.2023 43:25

In this episode Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice at the University of Manchester, creates an imaginary university formed from a distinctive combination of redbrick, plate glass and post-92 universities as well as an FE component. Wrottesley-Rummidge University aims to be more than the sum of its parts and presents itself as a university that doesn't know its place but knows its pla...

S1 Ep4: Episode 4: Two Towers for the Sandhurst of Regulation 12.02.2023 35:22

In the latest episode of My Imaginary University I speak to Douglas Blackstock, former Chief Executive of the QAA about his idea for a novel and non-traditional kind of university. His extremely niche institution, provisionally named the European University for Regulation of Organisations, is handily located in Luton, close to some excellent transport links. The core idea behind this new universi...

S1 Ep3: Episode 3: Far from preposterous - imagining a creative community campus in Kerala 02.02.2023 47:37

The latest episode of My Imaginary University sees Ben Tucker , Partner at Minerva, creating an exciting new university, some distance from the UK, in Kerala, India. Originally titled Preposterous University things quickly got a little more serious and Kerala Leadership University was founded with a very broad based curriculum and a strong widening participation ethos as wells as big fund-raising...

S1 Ep2: Episode 2: Challenging orthodoxy, holograms for all and a proud anthem 22.01.2023 41:49

The latest episode of My Imaginary University sees Professor Craig Mahoney sharing his vision for an exciting new challenger university, unconstrained by centuries of history, with multiple campuses, each with their own character and flavour, and ready to take on the old guard. The university is engaged in real world research too, focusing on the big modern problems, and has a novel approach to co...

S1 Ep1: Episode 1: Life in a Northern University Town 13.12.2022 43:05

In this episode we learn a lot about what Smita Jamdar's made up university would look like. It is a very new one, based in the north and with a strong sense of community and business engagement. There is a strong set of values underpinning the university and some real curricular novelties and innovations. Whilst this leader has no particular interest in league tables there is even less enthusiasm...