This Policy Note reveals a lack of understanding among employers of the post-study working rights of international students in the UK, even though the Graduate Route visa could provide the answer to many current skills shortages. The Graduate Route visa was introduced in 2021 and allows international students to stay in the UK to work for two…

While universities already play an important role in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the UK, there is a clear opportunity to expand and enhance this role through better collaboration between universities, local growth partners and government. This HEPI Report intends to begin a conversation -- within universities and across local…

The relationship between regulation and quality assurance of higher education in the United Kingdom (UK) has a long and complicated history, which contributed to the foundation of the UK Quality Assurance Agency for higher education (QAA) in 1997. After March 2023, the UK-wide QAA will stop being the Designated Quality Body (DQB) for English…

First-in-family students make up a majority of young first-degree students yet face a number of challenges. So they are now the focus of many specific interventions in the UK and the USA. This report looks at the pros and cons of using first-in-family as a key measure of disadvantage. It argues that, while it is an appropriate metric for low-level…

Despite the growth in importance of China, the number of Chinese Studies students in the UK has not increased in the past 25 years and there has been no official review into the state of Chinese Studies in universities since 1999. Based on interviews with over 40 individuals from education, government and business, this report from Michael Natzler…

Applications to local authorities for homelessness assistance per head are significantly higher in university towns and cities in England compared with areas without a university (1,428 per 100,000, compared with 1,007). Rates of households living in temporary accommodation are more than twice as high (475 per 100,000, compared with 218). The…

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) holds diverse roles in the regulatory, advisory, policy and voluntary spheres across the UK. They recognise that the primary responsibility for maintaining quality and standards sits with providers themselves. Providers with degree-awarding powers have particular responsibility for the…

This Policy Note measures the tenure of vice-chancellors at longer standing UK universities in four different ways. It shows that, possibly against expectations, the tenure of serving vice-chancellors has been rising and that, on average, vice-chancellors have served for a little over eight years when they stand down. [This Policy Note was…

On the back of Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, this collection brings together a wide range of authors to consider what has worked well in evaluation of UK research, what could have worked better and where the UK's higher education system should go from here. Chapters in the volume include: (1) The REF: A hydra-headed beast or an…

In this collection, different experts from a range of backgrounds consider the current plan to defund many Business and Technician Education Councils (BTECs) and other popular Level 3 Applied General qualifications. Together, the chapters argue this could close off a useful and proven route for students from a wide range of backgrounds, including…

Gypsies, Roma and Travellers (GRT) are the lowest achieving ethnic groupings in the UK education system, with stark disparities in attainment apparent from early years education through to higher education. This new report looks at the reasons behind poor educational outcomes; considers the issues faced by GRT students in higher education…

Higher education quality and standards are rarely far from the headlines or ministerial speeches. This Policy Note considers the important -- and changing -- role of England's governing bodies in academic governance, as they are expected to provide increased assurance that standards are being maintained or enhanced. The author suggests some…

In May 2022, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) published "Digging In? The Changing Tenure of UK Vice-Chancellors. HEPI Policy Note 34" (ED623233), which measured the lengths of tenure of vice-chancellors at long-standing United Kingdom (UK) universities. However it omitted the institutions which were granted university status…

In this HEPI report, Alison Wheaton presents new research into English university governance. The report sets out key findings with regard to how English university governors perceive their roles, the influences on those perceptions and the opportunities created to enhance university self-governance. Examples of good practice arising from the…

Since 2020, learning in higher education has been transformed by digitisation. Digital learning is not a new phenomenon, but its adoption by higher education institutions was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift towards digitisation and online learning offers significant advantages. Making content available online and throughout the…