Home

News

The latest announcements, press releases and media coverage from University Alliance.

Clear filters

  1. University Alliance hosts showcase event in parliament

    March 18, 2025

    On 11 March 2025, University Alliance hosted a parliamentary event showcasing the role of UA’s leading professional and technical universities across four themes: opportunity, community and civic impact, innovation and growth and skills. The event, which was partly intended as an introduction to UA for new parliamentarians following the 2024 general election, was attended by MPs and peers from across the UK. A number of resources and a new short …

    Read more of: University Alliance hosts showcase event in parliament

  2. University Alliance’s submission to the Spending Review

    February 11, 2025

    University Alliance has made its submission to the Treasury ahead of this year’s Spending Review. Read UA’s full submission The submission highlights how professional and technical universities are critical to delivering the government’s decade of renewal, and focuses on three of the government’s missions: kickstarting economic growth, building an NHS fit for the future and breaking down the barriers to opportunity. Mindful of the extremely tight…

    Read more of: University Alliance’s submission to the Spending Review

  3. University Alliance release ‘Let’s Get Technical: The First 100 Days’ 

    July 26, 2024

    In a new publication, University Alliance has set out a range of impactful priority actions for the government to take in their first 100 days in power. UA’s latest policy briefing ‘Let’s Get Technical: The First 100 Days’ identifies policies that are cost-neutral or low-cost to deliver that could help professional and technical universities deliver the government’s agenda. In partnership with government and industry, University Alliance argue th…

    Read more of: University Alliance release ‘Let’s Get Technical: The First 100 Days’ 
    'Let's Get Technical: The First 100 Days'

  4. Business leaders tell Chancellor: Keep graduate visa to protect UK’s research and innovation

    May 12, 2024

    18 leaders from Chambers of Commerce and business networks from across the UK have collectively written to the Chancellor to warn against watering down or scrapping the graduate visa route. The letter, which was coordinated by the University Alliance group of universities, has also been signed by leaders from the Russell Group and Universities UK. The letter has been sent ahead of the Migration Advisory Committee’s review of the graduate visa rou…

    Read more of: Business leaders tell Chancellor: Keep graduate visa to protect UK’s research and innovation

  5. Letter in the Financial Times: what’s miss­ing in the con­ver­sa­tion about uni­versit­ies

    January 23, 2024

    In a letter to the Financial Times, University Alliance CEO Vanessa Wilson talks about what’s missing in the conversations about the current challenges facing the higher education sector. “Robert Shrimsley’s piece on the crisis in higher education (Opinion, January 18) summarises the financial challenges facing universities in England well. There’s something missing however in the conversation about the value of universities, w…

    Read more of: Letter in the Financial Times: what’s miss­ing in the con­ver­sa­tion about uni­versit­ies

  6. ‘Let’s Get Technical’: University Alliance publishes five policy asks for the next Government

    September 29, 2023

    Note: in July 2024, following the election of a new Labour government, University Alliance has published an updated publication Let’s Get Technical: The First 100 Days. This sets out our recommendations for the government’s first 100 days in office, and in the long-term. University Alliance, an association of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities, has today (Friday 29 September) published ‘Let’s Get Technical: How to harness th…

    Read more of: ‘Let’s Get Technical’: University Alliance publishes five policy asks for the next Government
    Film students photographed - the Let's Get Technical campaign image

  7. University Alliance ‘relieved’ as UK re-joins Horizon Europe

    September 7, 2023

    University Alliance has responded to the announcement that the UK is to re-join Horizon Europe. Commenting on the news, Vanessa Wilson, CEO of University Alliance, said: “We are delighted and relieved that, after many years of uncertainty, the UK has associated fully with Horizon Europe. Collaborations with international partners are vital to harnessing the country’s research and innovation capability, and Horizon has always offered the best poss…

    Read more of: University Alliance ‘relieved’ as UK re-joins Horizon Europe
    Vanessa Wilson

  8. University Alliance responds to the initial proposed changes to the Research Excellence Framework (REF)

    June 15, 2023

    In response to the initial proposed changes to the Research Excellence Framework (REF), Vanessa Wilson CEO of University Alliance said: “We welcome the initial proposed changes to the next Research Excellence Framework. In our consultation response to the Future Research Assessment Programme, we outlined concerns that REF would become a more frequent exercise. We are therefore delighted that REF will next be conducted in 2028. This brings a degre…

    Read more of: University Alliance responds to the initial proposed changes to the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
    UA logo

  9. “Innovation needs to be kick-started”: University Alliance responds to Horizon alternative proposals

    April 6, 2023

    On 6 April 2023, the Government released a prospectus for a potential UK alternative to the Horizon Europe, named Pioneer. In response, Vanessa Wilson, CEO of University Alliance, said: “The whole Higher Education sector has been unanimous that association with Horizon Europe will always be our preference ahead of any alternative scheme. That said, University Alliance will consider the proposals in the Pioneer prospectus with great interest. Rese…

    Read more of: “Innovation needs to be kick-started”: University Alliance responds to Horizon alternative proposals

  10. University Alliance responds to the Spring Budget

    March 15, 2023

    University Alliance, the association of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities, has today responded to the Chancellor’s spring budget statement. Commenting on the statement, Vanessa Wilson, University Alliance CEO, said: On investment zones: “The Chancellor has clearly recognised the role universities play in driving growth in the Spring budget today. We are pleased that universities are recognised as key partners in investment …

    Read more of: University Alliance responds to the Spring Budget
    UA logo