Starting a conversation about our future

What we want to do with university_vision is start a conversation that begins to paint what the future could look like and to explore the issues and challenges facing universities in the future. We want to ask the big questions about where universities need to position themselves to deliver the knowledge, networks and places of the future.

It has been a dramatic few years for universities. There has been much debate and waiting, discussions and decisions made. However, very little of this has been led by the sector itself; university leaders and sector organisations have been consulted along the way but only in response to policy proposals, often late in the day, not tested or even after they are announced.

And the consequences of this process means we have been left with a sector unable to grow to meet demand, and with a lack of clarity about how universities fit within the wider economic and social vision what a university is for.  Staying within the current policy conversations means we will be playing the same game we have been playing for the past five years. We need a new game that is looking forwards and not backwards. We need to create a different paradigm for exploration, challenge and debate. Education is too important to be left without vision and passion.

Building a picture of our future

That is our ambition with university_vision. It is time we looked twenty years into the future to understand the challenges and opportunities for the UK and how those challenges will impact English universities, and decide what kind of a future is right for us, both economically and socially.

The idea is to create some visions of what higher education could look like. Fundamentally we want to do it differently from the usual way universities think about the future (locking themselves in a room, pulling the draw bridge up, having a huddle and saying “ok, what do we want to do”). We wanted to flip that. We recognise the need for rich engagement and collaboration, going way beyond the usual references we draw on to think about these issues. And therefore we need to engage with industry sectors, public services, universities across the sector, students and staff to make sure we are not losing any thinking in terms of future building.

We need to reference international thinking and be bold and creative in our vision.

We have drawn together a wide range of people to take part in our university_vision workshops from right across the university sector, business leaders, think tanks and beyond. We want to make the process as open as possible and will use the university_vision to allow anyone to feed in fresh ideas and thinking to the process.

Our future is going to look very different

Universities, like many organisations, don’t spend nearly as much time as they need to thinking about the future. We are locked in the here and now worrying about tactical, organisational responses to what is coming out of government and trying to work out how best to position ourselves in the short-term rather than in the long-term. What we hope this process will do is to start to take away some of the scales in front of our eyes at the moment. The future is going to look very different. What we need to work out is what that means for us now and engage with parliamentarians and funders to create that future.

Professor Steve West is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England and University Alliance’s chair elect.  

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“HEIF is one of only a few funds that can be used as a leverage to secure funding from other sources for knowledge exchange.”

HEFCE’s recently published report; ‘Strengthening the Contribution of English Higher Education Institutions to the Innovation System: knowledge exchange and HEIF funding’, shows how universities have embedded knowledge exchange activities into the heart of their mission.

University’s knowledge exchange work is funded through a complex arrangement of sources, however the most significant contribution comes from HEFCE’s Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) which drives much of the social and economic impact of the knowledge exchange work that takes place across universities.

HEFCE’s report shows why HEIF funding remains such an important funding source. They show why it has empowered universities to innovate and experiment with new models thanks to its flexibility and its ability to fund any form of knowledge exchange where other sources may come with far more strings attached.

“Estimates place the return on HEIF as £1 for every £6 invested.”

The report shows that critically, HEIF is one of only a few funds that can be used as a leverage to secure funding from other sources for knowledge exchange. However, this ability comes with added risk because if universities lose HEIF funding, the overall loss is magnified as leveraged funding also falls away.

HEIF remains an incredibly attractive investment for the taxpayer. Estimates place the return on HEIF as £1 for every £6 invested, although this probably underestimates the ultimate benefits to the economy and society thanks to the positive changes it makes to university’s approach to knowledge exchange in the long term, and the many knock-on benefits for employment and skills that may arise.

There are challenges ahead, not least thanks to the recession, which has made it harder for universities to make the case to private sector partners that knowledge exchange activities might be right for them. This is why they are diversifying around the world, bringing in further funding and showing why UK is such a vital export industry.

A knowledge exchange framework

The HEFCE report offers a framework for understanding the role of universities in knowledge exchange.

Although slightly clunky, this framework breaks down the contribution of universities in to the following key areas: the role they play in contributing the stock of knowledge through publications and in educating the future workforce, the direct contributions they make to support innovation; and the important roles they play in creating and strengthening the underlying innovation conditions of place: the factors that create a conducive environment for innovation and lead to a competitive place that can attract and retain resources and high value added, innovation-driven organisations.

“This work is rarely talked about in the press, but it is having an important and lasting impact on the economy and wider society.”

It also demonstrates the increasing recognition of the two-way knowledge flows, with users having an important role to play in helping to shape and influence the research and teaching agendas.  Universities knowledge exchange activities are tremendously diverse and cross disciplines, giving innovators many different points in the chain at which they can engage. HEFCE’s report shows this diversity to be one of the key strengths of knowledge exchange. It is also a central plank of University Alliance institutions’ strategies for knowledge exchange; it is not just something that happens in one department or faculty, it is activity at the core of the mission and spans everything they do, often crossing traditional disciplinary divides.

As we head into another Comprehensive Spending Review next year, universities will be considering how they can step up their interaction with the private sector to support growth and innovation. They will also be equipping their students to be tomorrow’s workforce and continue to drive the momentum of the UK’s economy. This work is rarely talked about in the press, but it is having an important and lasting impact on the economy and wider society making it a win/win for students, universities, business & industry, the Government and ultimately; the taxpayer.

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Image by Indywrite, Flickr

Universities UK (UUK) launched their latest report ‘Supporting a UK Success Story: the impact of university research and sport development’ at a star studded Parliamentary reception this week as part of Universities Week. The report looks at some of the many ways in which university research is helping Team GB ahead of London 2012 and laying the foundations for future sporting success. Nicky Morgan MP, who hosted the event at the House of Commons, spoke of how the report successfully “raised awareness of the great part universities play in the sporting success of the UK.”

“Report shows how universities contribute to national life in a various sets of ways.” David Willetts MP

So what does the report look at and is the role that universities play really that significant? Four areas of research are explored; technology, health and wellbeing, design and sport development and participation. Researchers are developing new and complex technologies as well as applying traditional engineering techniques to sport. Bournemouth University provide just one example of the work that is taking place. The university is investigating the use and perception of prosthetics used in competitive sprinting events. Their work aims to develop and investigate how this type of technology performs and how its impact can be measured.

Competing can take its toll on the mental as well as physical wellbeing of an athlete. Research is increasingly being used to help athletes maintain their health and wellbeing so that they can perform to the best of their ability. Research by Northumbria University has found that by deceiving the brain, competitors can see up to a five per cent gain in sporting performance. Trained cyclists were asked to race against an avatar on a computer screen which they believed was moving at the rate of the cyclist’s personal best. However, the avatar was actually going at a speed one per cent faster than the cyclist’s fastest time. Research in this area is helping give UK athletes a competitive edge.

 “University sport breaks down social and ethnic barriers.” Ed Smith, Chair of BUCS

Good design is an essential part of any piece of sports equipment used by athletes.  Teesside University have contributed successfully to this area by developing an innovative new product to support cyclists who face the problem of cold hands for cyclists. Breezeblockers offer a range of aerodynamic bike shields designed to provide protection for hands and feet in cold, wet and windy weather. This example of excellent design is helping athletes to compete to their best ability in often difficult circumstances.

Finally in sport development and participation. UK universities are home to elite athletes and also focus on increasing participation, generating new opportunities and providing the student experience though sport. ‘UP for Sport’ is a coaching scheme run by the University of Portsmouth, which provides opportunities for university students to share their sporting expertise with the local community. This is by no means unique. Our universities are at the heart of communities and their engagement through sport is something which contributes to the lives of many.

“Research sounds specialist but if affects everyone.”  Rick Ryland Chief Executive, AHRC

Nicola Dandridge, CEO of UUK, is right when she says that the “Olympic and Paralympic games provide real impact to the work of our academics and the long term sustainability of research collaboration.” Universities are playing an integral role in London 2012 and the long-term development of sporting success. This report is a fantastic insight into the positive work that is taking place. The link between UK universities and sport is one in which we should be proud and can lead us to victory this summer.

You can find more about Universities Week at the official site.
#UniWeek

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The government has made changes to the number of ‘core-and-margin’ places that will be open to bids in 2013. Commenting on the changes, Libby Hackett, director of the University Alliance, said that 60 to 70 per cent of students at University Alliance institutions were on professionally accredited courses, for which demand would be “relatively stable”. Such programmes could even be expanded in the wake of the policy revision, she suggested.

Read the full article here.

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But Ms Hackett added that changes in grant allocations to the sector announced in January already meant that overall student numbers at universities would drop from September.

You can read the full article here and check out our response to the Government announcement.

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“The changes announced today are a step in the right direction, increasing our ability to place students at the ‘heart of the system’.  These changes will create more flexibility for students to apply to the courses that are most in demand, which will mean that the ambitions of the White Paper can be more fully realised.

“However, the fact remains that this September there will be 25,000 fewer student places in universities compared with last year.  With youth unemployment at record levels and social mobility at a standstill it is essential that we explore how total growth of the sector can be achieved.  For the UK to remain globally competitive it is important that the Government takes steps to increase overall student numbers.”

Notes to editors:

1. University Alliance Website: www.university-alliance.ac.uk
2. Media contact: ahenry@university-alliance.ac.uk | 07833 236 629.
3. The January 2012 Grant Letter to HEFCE confirmed that 10,000 modernisation fund student numbers will not be consolidated and an additional 5,000 student numbers have been removed to reduce the risk of overspend. Of the 20,000 Core and Margin numbers – the vast majority of which has come out of HE numbers – around 10,000 have been allocated to universities and around 10,000 to FE Colleges. The result is a further reduction of around 10,000 university places.

About University Alliance

University Alliance is a group of 23 universities offering a distinct student experience shaped by a commitment to delivering world-class research and a culture of enterprise and innovation built on close partnerships with business, the professions and their communities. www.university-alliance.ac.uk

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Apeldoorn Conference:

For the UK and the Netherlands to remain leading world economies into the 21st century, our universities will be expected to produce increasing numbers of highly-skilled graduates with a clear understanding of the working world.

Libby Hackett, Director of University Alliance, gives her thoughts on this issue and speaks about discussions at the Apeldoorn Conference.

Libby Hackett speaking at the Apeldoorn: British-Dutch Dialogue 2012 from Apeldoorn on Vimeo.

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Beth Tweddle, Olympic Gymnast – Liverpool John Moores University graduate  

Universities Week recognises, and celebrates, the contribution that our universities make (and have always made) to the Olympic movement and to the UK. Universities underpin the future growth and success of the UK. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are a great way to showcase and demonstrate how the expertise and talent found in our universities make important contributions to our communities, benefitting everyone – not just students and graduates.

Leon Taylor, BBC Commentator – Sheffield Hallam University graduate

Interesting  in being involved?

If you’re interested in getting involved, there’s lots of information on the Universities Week website or contact your university to see what events are planned for the week.  You can also contact the Universities Week team if you have any questions, please email or telephone 0207 419 5483.

#Uniweek

John Inverdale, BBC Commentator

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Professor John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University, joined the PM programme on BBC Radio 4 to discuss proposals to give universities a greater role in A-level design and development.

Joining Professor Vinney were Mary Dunnet, a student at Edinburgh University, and Richard Drew, an A-level teacher from South Wales.

You can listen to the interview here. (Approx 34 minutes into the programme).

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On Tuesday 27 March, together with The Work Foundation, we held a roundtable event to launch our report ‘The way we’ll work: labour market trends and preparing for the hourglass’. The event was also an opportunity to discuss policy issues and recommendations on how the UK can respond to an increasingly hourglass-shaped labour market.

Chaired by Dr Neil Lee, from The Work Foundation, our four speakers opened the discussion:

Libby Hackett, Director of University Alliance, set out the background and findings of the report asserting that contrary to popular belief in the UK, the evidence suggests that we do not have ‘too many graduates’.  With the majority of future job growth limited to graduate dense occupation, a concept grasped by most other OECD countries, the UK must ensure that the workforce is suitably educated to meet the challenges of an hourglass-shaped labour market and to remain globally competitive. Highlighting a recommendation from the report she stated that an independent agency should identify indicators of graduate equilibrium and monitor levels to advise government on appropriate levels of investment to ensure public money is well used and the UK is prepared for the hourglass.

Dr Paul Sissons, researcher at The Work Foundation, is leading their work on labour market polarisation for the Bottom Ten Million Programme. He asserted that polarisation has a damaging effect on intra-generational mobility and that progression routes from low level work should be a key priority stating that qualifications are a really important determinant of mobility for displaced workers. He also highlighted the importance both of equipping people with the right level of education and training and ensuring skills are effectively utilised.

Katerina Rudiger, skills policy adviser at CIPD, said that employers value graduates but also that one of the main challenges graduates face is the lack of workplace experience. Employers have a massive role to play in the transition from education through to work and need to create more entry level jobs to ‘grow their own workforce’ and need to invest in job design and business leadership that promotes skills utilisation. She also highlighted the importance of better career information and guidance (IAG) linked to labour market information from school age upwards.

Professor Neil Gorman, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, described how universities are equipping students for future employment. He described the important work universities are doing to get the right student into the right course for the right outcome. This includes working with schools, businesses and professional bodies to ensure that both the education and training of students leaves them equipped with the right attributes for future employment opportunities.

The discussion that followed considered: the dramatic shift towards graduate dense occupations; if we need more graduates, what type of graduates do we need; the international dimension including the importance of aspiration and the role of family and cultural views of education; and the importance of city level labour market trends and the role of universities shaping labour markets, anchoring investment and raising aspiration – particularly in less affluent cities.

The evidence shows that we need more graduates. These graduates need to be equipped with attributes that enable them to be adaptable, innovative and productive. Universities have a role to educate, train and provide opportunities to gain experience of work.

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