The Defence Universities Alliance Opens for Business
The UK Ministry of Defence has opened applications for up to 20 founding members of the new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), a partnership designed to coordinate defence‑focused research, skills development and industry links. The move follows the Defence Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Defence Review, which earmark a £400 m ($508 m) annual budget for UK Defence Innovation and project defence R&D spending to exceed £2 bn ($2.5 bn) by 2026‑27. Universities must demonstrate strong research security, be signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant and show a track record in defence R&D or training. While no direct funding is attached now, the charter hints at future exclusive funding opportunities for members.
The Tensions of AI Shouldn’t Come as a Surprise in a System Wired for Speed and Output
The article argues that the growing tension around generative AI stems less from governance gaps than from a dopamine‑driven reward loop that promises immediate cognitive relief. In hyper‑productive environments—universities, workplaces, and other institutions—AI’s ability to smooth friction and accelerate output...
Impact in Business Schools Reflects Leadership Choices About What Is Noticed, Supported and Legitimised
Business schools are under mounting pressure to prove the real‑world impact of their teaching, research, and engagement activities, driven by tighter public accountability, accreditation demands and funding expectations. While schools generate abundant outputs—papers, curricula, live projects—evidence of actual use remains...
Your EDI Policy Doesn’t Travel. Your Research Does
The article argues that equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies built on statements rather than enforceable governance fail when research spans borders, a flaw exposed by recent political shifts such as the second Trump administration. In the UK, three forces...
Better Connected Needs to Be Better Connected to Higher Education
Britain’s Department for Transport released the “Better Connected” strategy, outlining eight priorities and commitments such as a £3 (≈$3.80) bus fare cap, a rail fare freeze until 2027 and Project Coral’s tap‑and‑go fare capping by 2030. While the plan lists disabled...
Lessons From Belgrade on UK Research
A UK‑Serbia Science and Innovation Fellowship brought twenty UK research leaders to Belgrade, revealing both common challenges and complementary strengths in their innovation ecosystems. Serbian researchers excel in IT, agriculture and engineering, while the UK grapples with fragmented interdisciplinary funding...
Generative AI Exposes Longstanding Flaws in the Use of Essay Assessments in a Mass System
The article argues that the mass‑adopted essay assessment in higher education has lost the essential dialogue that historically validated critical thinking. While the Oxbridge model paired essays with viva‑style tutorials, modern institutions rely on static submissions, creating a hollowed‑out assessment...
The Policy System Needs More Social Science
The UK government announced a new “school of government” to boost senior civil servants’ skills, explicitly incorporating social science alongside leadership, AI, and economics. The initiative follows the Academy of Social Sciences’ report urging stronger social‑science evidence in Whitehall, noting...
What Are the Responsibilities and Liabilities of Boards of Governors During Times of Strategic Change?
University boards are facing heightened scrutiny as the Office for Students (OfS) tightens communication and expects regular reporting on governance risks, especially around financial pressure and strategic change. The Committee of University Chairs is updating the Code of Higher Education...
Placement Students Deserve the Same Protections as Workers
Research from the Student Working Lives project reveals that university placement students, especially in nursing, midwifery and social care, are enduring severe time poverty as they juggle unpaid, full‑time‑like placements with part‑time jobs and coursework. Many report 60‑plus hour weeks,...
DfE Proposes to Strip Most Assistive Software Out of Disabled Students’ Allowance
The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a consultation to overhaul Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) software funding, moving from a default entitlement to a model where paid assistive tools are only funded in “exceptional circumstances” when free alternatives are insufficient....
To Break the Pattern of Rigid Higher Education Leadership We Must Move Away From Compliance and Towards Curiosity
Higher education leaders are urged to replace compliance‑driven mindsets with a curiosity‑centered approach, supported by compassion. The article argues that curiosity activates the conditions compassion creates, turning technical fixes into lasting cultural shifts. It highlights how regulatory scrutiny, financial strain,...
Students Should Take Risks, but Not with Their Lives
A tragic death during a wild‑swimming outing highlighted serious safety gaps in university student societies. The incident revealed missing site‑specific risk assessments, inadequate training, and lack of safety equipment. In response, a national outdoor‑pursuits safety programme has been launched with...
The Shadow AI University – Who Gets an AI-Enabled Education?
Universities are witnessing a parallel "shadow AI university" where digitally savvy students independently adopt generative AI tools for study, collaboration, and personal support. This informal ecosystem, flourishing on platforms like Discord and WhatsApp, amplifies learning for those with reliable devices,...
Labour Punctures Management Apprenticeships on a Hunch About What’s Best for Employment
The Department for Work and Pensions announced that several management‑focused apprenticeship standards – including level 3 team leader, level 5 operations manager, level 5 coaching professional, level 4 lead practitioner in adult care and the level 6 chartered manager – will be defunded. Labour frames...
To Help Students Flourish in an AI-Shaped World, Higher Education Must Instil Wisdom, Character, and Community
UK universities face mounting pressure as AI reshapes learning, prompting debate over the distinct value of higher education. The University of Birmingham responded with a university‑wide curriculum overhaul called Ad Alta, built around Intellectual Curiosity, Future Readiness, and Practical Wisdom. The...
The AI Guidance Gap Is a Mental Health Problem
Universities are grappling with an AI guidance gap that leaves students uncertain about permissible use, prompting many to avoid generative tools altogether. A recent survey shows only 36% of students receive institutional AI skill support, while the OIA reports a...
Playful Leadership Development in Mid-Career Academic Mentoring and Coaching
Queen Mary’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences introduced a two‑day, faculty‑wide mentoring program for mid‑career researchers that replaces traditional KPI‑driven workshops with playful, creative activities. Participants used visual metaphors, silent paper‑tower challenges, and sensory exercises to reflect on career...
How Ukraine Regulates AI in Education During the Russian Invasion
Ukraine has crafted a tiered, soft‑law framework to govern AI use in higher and secondary education amid the ongoing war. The Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Education issued two recommendation documents that translate ethical principles into actionable...
Safeguarding the Art of Lecturing in an AI Age
University lecturers are increasingly seeing their own teaching materials uploaded into AI tutoring tools without permission. While AI can provide valuable one‑to‑one support, it also learns from lecture slides, recordings and practice questions, potentially reproducing content and even the lecturer’s...
How Universities Can Rise to the Challenge of an Unpredictable Future Workplace
Universities UK launched the Future Universities campaign to align higher education with a rapidly changing labour market. Government forecasts predict that by 2035, 88% of new jobs will require graduate‑level skills, creating a need for more than 11 million additional graduates....
What Needs to Change to Make Evidence-Based Teaching the Norm?
The article argues that evidence‑based teaching cannot become standard without dedicated funding for discipline‑based education research (DBER) in the UK. It highlights how the pandemic, generative AI, and mounting pressures on universities expose the fragility of teaching that relies on...