The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast we examine proposals for transforming the student experience as The Post-18 Project calls for a Student Rights Bill and a complete rethink of higher education’s structure. Could enshrining ten student rights into law and splitting faculties into research and applied institutions finally address the sector’s longstanding challenges? Plus we discuss Labour’s vision for the L...

This week on the podcast we examine the latest attacks on international student recruitment as Policy Exchange calls for new restrictions and a £1,000 levy on international fees. Are universities really "selling immigration not education," and what would raising English language requirements to advanced level mean for the sector? Plus we discuss what incoming student leaders are promising in their...

This week on the podcast we examine the government’s new industrial strategy and what it really means for higher education – from regional clusters and research funding to skills bootcamps and spin-out support. Will the plans finally integrate universities into the UK’s economic future, or is this another case of policy promises outpacing delivery? Plus we discuss the franchising scandal and the d...

This week on the podcast we examine the Office for Students' new free speech guidance as controversial requirements prepare to take effect from August 1st. What do the "deeply disturbing" YouGov findings about academic self-censorship really tell us, and how should universities navigate campus protests and challenging research topics? Plus we discuss outgoing UKRI chief Ottoline Leyser's stark war...

This week on the podcast we examine the government's spending review and what it means for higher education. How will the £86bn R&D commitment translate into real-terms funding, and why was higher education notably absent from the Chancellor's priorities? Plus we discuss the Post-18 Project's call to fundamentally reshape HE policy away from market competition, the startling new REF rules, and the...

This week on the podcast we examine Universities UK's efficiency and transformation taskforce report. What do shared back-office services, federation models and subject cold spots tell us about the sector's financial pressures? Plus we discuss Research England's new EDI action plan, and explore whether the UK's rapid three-year degree model is harming student wellbeing and learning outcomes. With...

This week on the podcast we examine the OfS penalty imposed on Leeds Trinity over subcontractual partnerships oversight. What does the £115,000 fine and a new proposed code of “ethical” governance tell us about decision-making at the top?   Plus we discuss the government's decision to axe level 7 apprenticeships from levy funding, and explore incoming OfS chair Edward Peck's ten trends shapin...

This week on the podcast we examine the government's brutal funding cuts to universities. What does the £108m reduction in the Strategic Priorities Grant mean for higher education, and why are media studies and journalism courses losing their high-cost subject funding? When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at...

This week on the podcast we get across the government's new immigration white paper. What does cutting the graduate route visa from two years to 18 months mean for international students and universities? Plus we examine the proposed 6 per cent levy on international student fees and tighter compliance requirements that could put some institutions at risk. We also discuss Skills Minister Jacqui Smi...

This week on the podcast we discuss the Office for Students' financial sustainability report. What do widespread course closures and maintenance cutbacks mean for the sector's future? Plus we examine "naming and shaming" over vice-chancellor pay packages when student outcomes fall short. With Paul Greatrix, higher education expert and former registrar at the University of Nottingham, Graeme Athert...

This week on the podcast we discuss the financial crisis at the University of Dundee, as a revised recovery plan reduces proposed job cuts while requesting additional funding. Is this a sustainable solution for institutions facing similar challenges? Plus we look at concerning new Wonkhe and Cibyl polling on student health, and we examine how international student policies have become political ba...

This week on the podcast the SUs team has been on a study tour to universities in Lisbon in Portugal, and have reflections on everything from space to food, from interdisciplinarity to curriculum design and from Praxe to ribbon burning. With Khadiza Hossein, VP Education at UWE SU, Emillia Zirker, Student Representation Officer at Lincoln SU, Gary Hughes, CEO at Durham SU, Mack Marshall, Community...

This week on the podcast it’s our Easter special – and we’re diving into the highlights from The Secret Life of Students, our event that looked at a new vision for the student experience. We hear from student officers, sector experts, and campaigners on everything from the myth of the full-time model, to the pressures of placements, to the problems faced by international students. There’s testimon...

This week on the podcast we discuss new research on student regret, as a report from the University of Bristol reveals that while two-thirds of current undergraduates are happy with their choice of degree, it drops to less than half among recent graduates. Are improved advice and guidance really the answer? Plus we look at the collapse of the Advanced Business Academy (ABA) and its aftermath, as a...

This week on the podcast we're discussing the Office for Students fine of £585,000 levied against the University of Sussex for breaches of free speech conditions, as vice chancellor Sasha Roseneil calls the process "Kafka-esque" and plans a legal challenge. Plus we examine what Bridget Phillipson has called "one of the biggest financial scandals universities have faced" – franchising. Does the aff...

This week on the podcast - recorded live at our Secret Life of Students event in London - we get across the financial crisis facing universities in Scotland. Can the SNP hold its “free education” line forever? Plus there’s clips, highlights and reflections from our Secret life of Students event in London - where we’ve been discussing student health, students at work, what students learn, student c...

This week on the podcast free speech tsar Arif Ahmed is back as the government presses ahead with the free speech act - we get across the implications.  Plus there’s new analysis on how graduates’ importance to the government’s industrial strategy, and we take a closer look at the inequalities baked into student maintenance support. With Julian Gravatt, Deputy Chief Executive at the Associati...

This week on the podcast Nottingham Trent VC Edward Peck has been confirmed as the government’s candidate for Chair of OfS. But what does his focus on “quality improvement” and engagement with governing bodies mean for the regulator’s approach—and how will his skepticism of government bailouts impact struggling institutions? Meanwhile, as the Employment Rights Bill sees significant amendments, we...

This week on the podcast UK Research and Innovation and the Office for Students both have new leadership – but what does that mean for the future of regulation, research funding, and sector confidence? Meanwhile, a new report reveals a dramatic rise in student use of generative AI, and as speculation swirls over potential changes to post-study work visas, the sector braces for further uncertainty...

This week on the podcast the Welsh government has announced £18.5m in additional capital funding for universities - but questions remain over reserves, job cuts, competition law and student protection. Meanwhile, new research reveals student mental health difficulties have tripled in the past seven years, and Universities UK warns that OfS’ new strategy risks expanding regulatory burden rather tha...

This week on the podcast universities failing to promote diversity will face funding cuts – so said The Times. We chat through the controversy building around the REF. Plus we look at what the sector is asking for in the spending review, and consider the government’s push for lower-level, shorter apprenticeships. With Shitij Kapur, Vice Chancellor and President at King's College London, Jess Liste...

This week on the podcast OfS is introducing new protections for some students - but will they come fast enough and who will they apply to? Plus a Lords committee says UK visa policy for scientists and researchers is an “act of national self-harm”, and we’ve launched a new article series on commuter students. With Omar Khan, Chief Executive at TASO, Charlotte Corrish, Head of Public Policy at the O...

This week on the podcast as news of further redundancies sweeps the sector, we ask how bad things can get before the government will act or the public notice. Plus UCAS end of cycle applications data has arrived, there’s a new report on the campus encampments, and there’s data futures news to get across. With Alex Stanley, Vice President for Higher Education at the National Union of Students, Eve...

This week on the podcast Minister of State for Skills Jacqui Smith helped launch a pamphlet on whether universities are “worth it” - and was notably cold on extra money. But does she mean outlay or eventual return to the Treasury? Plus there’s changes afoot in Scotland, UKVI is cracking down on attendance for international students and students are still feeling the pinch financially - is a return...

This week on the podcast the government is to press on with implementing parts of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 while seeking to repeal others - we discuss what will (and should) happen next. Plus there’s a report on more resilient and sustainable higher education finances, and NEON has been looking at regional inequality in university admissions. With Richard Sykes, Partner at...