The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast Jim, Mack and team are on a bus around the Visegrad countries where they’ve been exploring student experience, representation and rights, discounted dorms and a set of countries where students have been leading change. Plus Disabled Students UK has its access insights survey out, and we discuss changes to the Renter's Rights Bill. With Katie Jackson, Faculty of Humanities...

In this special seasonal edition of the Wonkhe Show, we discuss how you can contribute to the higher education debate by writing for the site, the importance of communicating academic and professional insights to wider audiences, and we take you inside our editorial process - which is all about clear arguments and diverse perspectives. With Adam Matthews, Senior Research Fellow at the School of Ed...

This week on our final proper show before the break, we’ve published polling on students experience of earning while learning - is a return to “full time” study possible? Plus OfS has a new strategy, the OIA has some learning from complaints, and we look ahead to the 2025 spending review. With Shahid Omer, Director of Policy at Universities UK, Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer at London Higher...

This week on the podcast there’s budget news from both Wales and Scotland - why are governments finding it so hard to stick to commitments on student financial support? Plus OfS has temporarily “closed” its register as the financial crisis intensifies, and Radio 4’s File on Four has been looking at international recruitment. With Beccy Freeman, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at University...

This week on the podcast the government is to “get Britain working” - but what role will higher education play in the plans? Plus there are big divides between international and home students in this year’s PTES, and proposals for a transformation fund to help universities change what they do and how they work. With Shane Chowen, Editor at FE Week, Roscoe Hastings, Director of Teaching Excellence...

This week on the podcast the sector’s financial woes continue - just how bad is it and are regulators on top of the problem? Plus there’s a new report out on subject cold spots, and student housing is back in the news. With Gavan Conlon, leader of the Education and Labour Market teams at London Economics, Sally Burtonshaw, Director of the Education Practice at Public First, James Coe, Associate Ed...

This week on the podcast live from the Festival of Higher Education in London, England is grappling with Labour’s longer-term aspirations for higher education - we try to figure out what it wants. OfS wants to silence the “boomers”, regional access and participation planning is coming and we dive into the history of our venue for the festival, Senate House. With Vicki Stott, Chief Executive Office...

This week on the podcast the Westminster government has announced a fee increase - but will it be enough, and can universities even impose it? Plus the government is on a “renewed drive for efficiency” in universities, and we consider the implications of the results of the US Election. With Brooke Storer-Church, Chief Executive Officer at GuildHE, Johnny Rich, Chief Executive at the Engineering Pr...

This week on the podcast we pore over Rachel Reeves’ first budget and consider the implications for universities. We also think about students’ finances as bus fares and the minimum wage both rise. Plus OfS has been rattling its sabre on consumer rights—but is the sector taking any notice? With Andy Westwood, Professor of Public Policy, Government and Business at the University of Manchester, Mary...

This week on the podcast student numbers are set to decline in England after 2030 - we discuss the implications. Plus rumours are swirling over next week’s budget, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has turned its attention to VC pay, and there’s a new report on international student perceptions of different destinations. With David Duncan, Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary at University of Gl...

This week on the podcast we look at the latest graduate recruitment trends as the Institute of Student Employers reveals a 60 per cent surge in applications per vacancy. Plus OfS is to survey the prevalence of sexual misconduct, and there’s new NSS data on satisfaction by student characteristic. With Julie Sanders, Vice Chancellor and Principal at Royal Holloway, University of London, Joe Cooper,...

This week on the podcast it’s possible to predict a student’s wellbeing using mental health analytics - but what are the ethics and implications? Plus Labour’s new legislation for improving the rental market has been discussed in Parliament, Hidden History looks at a push for higher technical skills, and there’s going to be a new International Education Strategy - we discuss what should be in it....

This week on the podcast Universities UK’s much anticipated “blueprint for change” is out – is a new 70 per cent participation target the right one? Plus The Times reports that fees might be going up, Hidden History recalls university leaders trying to get the attention of government, and Keir Starmer has been in Brussels – will he give way on fees and youth mobility? With Rose Stephenson, Directo...

This week on the podcast Team Wonkhe has been at Labour Conference in Liverpool - we discuss what was and wasn’t said about higher education. Plus there’s news on skills (and in particular Level 7 apprenticeships), Hidden History looks at how HE came to be publicly funded, and Wales’ new tertiary regulator has a plan. With Pam Macpherson Barrett, Head of Policy and Regulation at the University of...

This week on the podcast bits of the UUK blueprint on funding the sector have emerged - we evaluate what’s emerged so far. Plus we ask whether closure of courses at ABA is a coalmine canary, a debate is hotting up over workload and Hidden History dives into the duopoly. With Ben Ward, Chief Executive at University of Manchester Students’ Union, Meg Price, Senior Policy Manager at Public First, Mik...

This week on the podcast over the summer the government paused implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act - but should it have, and what will happen next? Plus international visa application data for August is out, Hidden History looks at the competition to be old, and a younger generation is doing less well than their parents. With Chris Husbands, Director at Higher Futures, S...

This week on the podcast the Westminster government has broken its silence on university funding - but did it say anything? Plus OfS has been pitch-rolling on franchising, Hidden History looks back when universities had their own MPs, and there’s new research on digital student experience. With Smita Jamdar, Partner and Head of Education at Shakespeare Martineau, Ben Vulliamy, Executive Director a...

This week on our final show before the summer break, Labour is to introduce a Skills England bill - we discuss what might be in it, and everything else that was (and wasn’t) in the King’s speech. Plus the QAA has published its investigation into international foundation years, and DK has been making music again. With Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive at Universities UK, Aaron Porter, Chair of the Bo...

This week on the podcast the new government is shaping up - we check if it’s ship shape. Plus it's been NSSmass so we’ll work out the impact, and we’ve got new research on academic support. With Jess Lister, Associate Director (Education) at Public First, Alex Favier, Founder and Director at Favier Ltd,  David Kernohan, Deputy Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor...

This week on the podcast the party leaders have spoken out on student living cost support - did they have anything to say, and if not why not? Plus the OIA has a fresh batch of complaints to learn from, there's two new reports on international expansion, and DK has some red hot quality news. With Michelle Morgan, Dean Of Students at University of East London, Mark Bennett, Director (Audience & Ins...

This week on the podcast we have new research out on cost of living and its impact on the student experience. With no time, will students get the skills and confidence they were promised? Plus there's new public polling out on the salience of universities, the election rumbles on and Debbie's going back to the 90s. With Paul Greatrix, Registrar at University of Nottingham, Ed Marsh, Chief Executiv...

This week on the podcast all the major parties have their manifestos out for the General Election. What's in there for students or universities? Plus the Student Academic Experience Survey for 2024 is out, and staff-student relationships are in the news. With Jonathan Grant, Director at Different Angles, Alex Stanley, Vice President Higher Education-elect at the National Union of Students, Sunday...

This week on the podcast we talk about potential HE policy after the election – could a tuition fee rise be on the cards in England if Labour wins? Plus various sector organisations have their manifestos out, and we go over the Conservatives’ plan to cull “Mickey Mouse” low-value courses. With Pam Macpherson Barrett, Head of Policy and Regulation at the University of Leeds, Chris Shelley, Director...

This week on the podcast Rishi Sunak has called a general election for July 4th - so we think about the issues, the pitfalls and landmines for universities, students, SUs and the sector, we talk tactics for the regulated period and we even turn our attention to what might happen after the election.  With Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice at the University of Manchester, Polly Ma...

This week on the podcast the Migration Advisory Committee’s review of the Graduate route is here - how will the government respond? Plus we take a trip back to the sixties to look at manifesto mentions from six decades ago, and OfS says that 40 per cent of institutions expect to be in deficit this year. With Eve Alcock, Director of Public Affairs at QAA, Jonathan Simons, Partner and Head of the Ed...