2013 was set to be defined as a year of tightening belts, efficiencies and tougher market pressures as austerity started to pinch; and then came the Autumn Statement. An historic announcement that this Government was going to remove any limits to the number of students going to university and, furthermore, that this expansion would be […]
Universities will be able to admit about 30,000 more undergraduates from next autumn, in a significant expansion of higher education announced yesterday reports Greg Hurst in The Times. Libby Hackett, chief executive of University Alliance, said: “These extra places will ensure the UK can meet the need for additional highly-skilled graduates helping us meet the […]
Helen Warrell reports that institutions which stand to gain most are those in the middle of the market, since they are now free to be more innovative. The University Alliance – an umbrella group of 23 universities including Oxford Brookes and the University of the West of England – welcomed the expansion, noting that the […]
For immediate release University Alliance responds to the announcement of additional places, and a removal of the cap, in today’s (5 December 2013) Autumn Statement. Libby Hackett, Chief Executive of University Alliance said: “The announcement of additional student places is excellent news for the students, universities and the UK. This shows that the Government are […]
We run a design competition for the cover of our Christmas cards every year. This year’s theme for the competition was ‘Global’, in line with our international work. The competition was open to staff and students of Alliance universities and participants were asked to provide a 50 word summary of how their design fitted this theme. […]
UUK have released a report this morning examining the challenges for universities and government in funding any expansion of student numbers, given the backdrop of current funding restraints. In a Telegraph piece on this report, we have responded saying that that “this does not have to involve an increase in tuition fees.” Libby Hackett, Chief Executive […]
We are once again running a design competition for the cover of our Christmas card to be sent to our key stakeholders. If you would like to take part in the competition or advertise it to those who might, please either link to this page or send the below details out. Please note that this […]
The world we live in is changing rapidly. More people now have access to a mobile phone than have access to a working toilet and by 2030 it is estimated that 75% of the global workforce will be Digital Natives. In education this raises big questions. For example, will students still need to learn and […]
The State of the Nation, the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s recent report, makes some ambitious recommendations about how to promote social mobility in the UK, which should be welcomed. It highlights how education, including higher education, has the ability to transform lives and says that a degree is one of the best guarantees […]
New HEFCE data out today shows how higher education participation has changed over time and by region. Speaking to the Telegraph Libby Hackett, Chief Executive of University Alliance, said: “This is further evidence that the increase in fees may be driving down aspiration in certain communities, which warrants serious investigation. “The often quoted statistic, that […]
