The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast we get across the Westminster government’s post-16 white paper – its headline target of two-thirds of young people in higher-level learning by 25, the plan to index the undergraduate fee cap to inflation (with TEF-linked eligibility), the maintenance package holding to the status quo, and a push for institutional specialisation via research funding alongside changes to access, participation, and regulation. We ask whether these levers add up – will automatic indexation and selective controls actually stabilise university finances while widening opportunity, or do TEF-conditioned fee rises, classroom-based foundation year limits, and OfS expansion risk new “cold spots”, tighter choice, and a tougher deal on student maintenance? Plus we discuss the proposed international student levy and quid-pro-quo on quality; tougher franchising rules and agent oversight; a “statement of expectations” on student accommodation; governance and TPS pressures; and much much more. With Debbie McVitty, Editor, Wonkhe, David Kernohan, Deputy Editor, Wonkhe, Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor, Wonkhe, Michael Salmon, News Editor, Wonkhe, and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief, Wonkhe. What is in the post-16 education and skills white paper for higher education?

This week on the podcast we look at Wales’ emerging higher education settlement, as Universities Wales publishes its manifesto for the May 2026 Senedd elections amid polling that points to a potential Plaid-led administration. Plus we discuss new Office for Students’ data on subcontracted (franchised) provision showing weaker continuation, completion and progression outcomes relative to sector averages, and assess the Institute of Student Employers’ latest survey, with graduate hiring down overall but highly variable by sector amid persistently high applications per vacancy. With Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe, Sarah Cowan, Head of Policy (Higher Education and Research) at the British Academy, Sarah Stevens, Director of Strategy at the Russell Group and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Universities Wales election manifesto Outcomes data for subcontracted provision Graduate jobs and recruitment reality

This week on the podcast as pro-Palestinian student protests mark the anniversary of October 7, an intervention from Keir Starmer sparks a national debate on campus safety, antisemitism, and free speech. Plus the Prime Minister is leading a trade delegation to India alongside sector leaders, we explore the growing opportunities in transnational education and ask whether UK universities are ready for a TNE surge – and at Conservative Party Conference, Kemi Badenoch announces plans to slash student numbers and redirect funding. With Jess Lister, Director (Education) at Public First, Liz Hutchinson, Chief Executive at London Higher, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and hosted by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. OfS rebalances the free speech/harassment see-saw on antisemitism Conservatives have a poor quality higher education policy A TNE policy primer for anyone seeking new funding streams

This week on the podcast, as the dust settles on Labour conference in Liverpool, we unpack what Keir Starmer’s new higher education participation target really means – and whether universities have the capacity and funding to meet the moment. We also get into the surprise return of targeted maintenance grants – funded controversially by the levy on international student fees, and we reflect on the wider political atmosphere at the conference – from policy signals to sector perceptions, and what all this might tell us about Labour’s emerging offer and forthcoming White Paper. With Gary Hughes, Chief Executive at Durham Students’ Union, Eve Alcock, Director of Public Affairs at QAA, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe and hosted by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. The PM’s announcement on higher level participation is a win for the HE sector The fifty per cent participation target is no more. Again. Grants return, the levy stays Maybe the levy just moves money to where it’s needed most The Augar review is back, baby. Just don’t about talk yourself Students are being othered again – and everyone loses out Have universities got the capacity and cash to respond to the government’s agenda? How much should the new maintenance grant be? Universities should be central to rebuilding communities Students are working harder than ever – because they have to I have a lot of questions about the LLE Who’s ready for a debate at 930am on a Sunday? The education policy trap: will the Augar review avoid the mistakes of the past?

This week on the podcast we examine the results of the Office for Students’ first sector-wide survey on sexual misconduct. With over 50,000 responses from final-year undergraduates, the data provides a stark picture of prevalence, reporting, and staff-student relationships in higher education. But with only sector-level results released, questions remain about transparency, accountability, and the regulator’s approach to such a sensitive issue. Plus we discuss the politics and potential consequences of a proposed levy on international student fees – a policy idea that could reshape funding, recruitment, and the UK’s global competitiveness. And we take stock of warnings from the Institute of Physics about possible closures of departments and courses, asking what this says about funding for high-cost subjects and the sector’s capacity to manage contraction and change. With Charlotte Corrish, Head of Public Policy at the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, Mark Bennett, Vice President Research and Insight at Keystone Education Group, and David Kernohan, Deputy Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. The “regulatory burden” on sexual misconduct needs to lift the weight from students What OfS’ data on harassment and sexual misconduct doesn’t tell us IOP: Quarter of UK university physics departments risk closure as funding crisis bites Public First: Counting the cost – Modelling the economic impact of a potential levy on international student fees

This week on the podcast we examine the Office for Students' proposed overhaul of England's quality system, as radical reforms seek to integrate the Teaching Excellence Framework with minimum standards and give TEF some serious teeth. Plus we discuss the government's long-awaited "Hillsborough law" as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill imposes new duties of candour on universities, and examine the machinery of government changes that have seen apprenticeships policy and Skills England transferred from the Department for Education to Pat McFadden's expanded Department for Work and Pensions. With Andrea Turley, Partner at KPMG, Shane Chowen, Editor at FE Week, Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. TEF6: the incredible machine takes over quality assurance regulation Reputation versus sunlight – universities and the new duty of candour What Ofsted inspections reveal about university leadership and culture A machinery of government muddle over skills The former student leaders entering Parliament Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast we examine the bombshell merger announcement between the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent, set to create the London and South East University Group – one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK. With a memorandum of understanding signed and contracts expected by Christmas, this "super university" is being hailed as a potential blueprint for sector transformation. But what does this new multi-university model really mean for students, staff, and the future of higher education consolidation? Plus we discuss the recent government reshuffle and its implications for the sector, as Angela Rayner's departure triggers ministerial changes across departments with direct links to higher education – from Liz Kendall's appointment as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to questions about skills policy under Pat McFadden's expanded brief at the newly configured Department for Work and Pensions. With Ben Vulliamy, Executive Director at the Association of Heads of University Administration, Emma Maslin, Senior Policy and Research Officer at AMOSSHE, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. The first multi-university group arrives Back to the future for the TEF? Back to school for OfS? The former student leaders entering Parliament Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast we examine the challenges facing UK higher education as another tough academic year begins with government finances stretched and the sector languishing at the bottom of political priorities. With the post-16 education white paper still pending and rumours swirling about tuition fee increases and international student levies, what does the year ahead hold for universities already struggling with funding pressures? Plus we discuss the latest crackdown on international students as 130,000 are warned about visa overstaying and further restrictions on dependants loom, and ask whether new governance recommendations – from paying board members to live-streaming meetings – can restore confidence in university leadership after high-profile failures. With Anton Muscatelli, Principal at University of Glasgow, Dani Payne, Head of Education and Social Mobility at the Social Market Foundation, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Retry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on our final podcast before the summer break, we unpack the mounting panic about graduate jobs – is AI really to blame, or are today’s students simply paying the price for a sluggish economy, a stalling skills strategy, and shifting recruitment practices? Plus we discuss new figures from UCAS that show a record number of 18-year-olds applying to university, and we look at a major new report on how provider closures are affecting students, and what the sector should do next to avoid chaos when courses collapse. With Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, Head of Public Affairs at Jisc, Hugh Jones, independent consultant and higher education postcard maestro, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. You can subscribe to the podcast on Acast, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, RadioPublic, Podchaser, Castbox, Player FM, Stitcher, TuneIn, Luminary or via your favourite app with the RSS feed. UCAS applications and offer making by June deadline, 2025 Student protection through market exit is not a compliance exercise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Lifelong Learning Entitlement as key details emerge on modular provision and approval processes, and ask whether universities are really retreating from their civic commitments as funding cuts bite. Doing better, getting better: Getting a grip on the full-time student experience The LLE finally gets a Labour overhaul To make real progress on widening participation in higher education, we need a new mission Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 manifestos – from subsidised laundry to lecture materials uploaded in advance – and ask whether the new metascience unit can deliver on its promise of a more efficient and transparent research funding system. With Duncan Ivison, President and Vice Chancellor at the University of Manchester, Vicki Stott, Chief Executive at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. The attack lines on international students are built on shaky foundations – but won’t go away that easily Should students’ unions reach for the stars? Metascience comes of age Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 damning case for urgent reform, and ask whether new research on social mobility challenges the sector’s claims about access, aspiration, and advancement. With Katie Normington, Vice Chancellor at De Montfort University, Johnny Rich, Chief Executive at the Engineering Professors’ Council and Push, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. Higher education and the industrial strategy priority areas The cashpoint campus comeback franchising, fraud, and the failure to learn from the FE experience On the move: how young people’s mobility responds to and reinforces geographical inequalities Inequalities in Access to Professional Occupations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 warning about "inevitable consolidation" in university research. With Mark Peace, Professor of Innovation in Education at King's College London, Arti Saraswat, Senior Policy Manager for Higher Education at the Association of Colleges, Livia Scott, Partnerships Coordinator at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Will guidance on freedom of speech help the staff who fear physical attack for expressing their views? Prevent data, 2023-24 We need a better quality of conversation about education and the skills agenda for the screen industries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 striking rise in student term-time working revealed by the latest Student Academic Experience Survey. With Stephanie Harris, Director of Policy at Universities UK, Ben Vulliamy, Executive Director at the Association of Heads of University Administration, Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. Tooling up: Building a new economic mission for higher education Investing for the long term often loses out to pensioner power What’s in the spending review for higher education The student experience is beyond breaking point How to assess anxious, time-poor students in a mass age REF is about institutions not individuals Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Rille Raaper, Associate Professor in Sociology of Higher Education at Durham University, Jess Lister, Director (Education) at Public First, Mack Marshall, Community and Policy Officer at Wonkhe SUs, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Our drop-out and pace miracle is harming students’ health and learning Universities UK’s new era of collaboration Fixing the potholes in postgraduate funding The spending review is a critical moment for UK science and innovation There are better politics, big ideas, and future trade-offs in Research England’s new EDI action plan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 shaping the future of campus universities. With Alex Stanley, Vice President for Higher Education at the National Union of Students, Pam Macpherson Barrett, Head of Policy and Regulation at the University of Leeds, David Kernohan, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. Poor quality teaching and student outcomes. But where? The new OfS chair identifies ten trends A code of ethical university governance is overdue Should governance reform be horizontal or vertical? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 jo@samaritans.org, or visit http://www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. Plus we discuss the independent review of student suicides, and explore new research on widening participation and regional disparities. With Shân Wareing, Vice Chancellor at Middlesex University, Richard Brabner, Executive Chair at the UPP Foundation, Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Why not take a risk-based approach to discrimination or harassment on campus? Whatuni Student Choice Awards For those in HE cold spots, higher education isn’t presenting as a good bet A review of student suicides suggests that standards are now necessary What have coroner’s reports said about student suicide? A brutal budget for strategic priorities from the Department for Education Why are we so embarrassed about Erasmus? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Smith’s Telegraph op-ed criticizing universities for "losing sight of their responsibility to protect public money" – are her concerns reasonable? With Smita Jamdar, Partner and Head of Education at Shakespeare Martineau, Roscoe Hastings, Director of Teaching Excellence and Student Experience at the University of Exeter, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson. Everything in the immigration white paper for higher education There are lots of ways to be more transparent about university finances Lessons from innovating in our student support model Euro visions: A playbook to fight the populists in the Netherlands Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Atherton, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement at the University of West London, Livia Scott, Partnerships Coordinator at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. OfS continues to sound the alarm on the financial sustainability of English higher education Plotting VC pay against OfS progression Are there secret government bailouts? Survey shows how the sector is cutting spending Hard raindrops keep falling on my head With the power of knowledge – for the world Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 battlegrounds in global elections. With Chris Shelley, Director of Student Experience at Queen Mary University of London, Rachel MacSween, Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement (UK and Europe) at IDP, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. Dundee: An alternative pathway to financial recovery, Scottish Government statement Latest from Belong – students’ health is not OK, and that’s not OK Canada: The Deeper Meaning of Election 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.