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This week on the podcast John Blake, Director at the Post-18 Project has published his first paper arguing that English higher education's crisis stems from thirty years of policy failure – and that the only real fix is a major, multi-year review to establish a new concordat between the state, the sector and students about who is responsible for what, and how disputes get resolved. Plus, new research from King's College London finds that the cost of applying for research grants amounts to thirteen per cent of the value of awards, and the Committee of University Chairs puts a near-final draft of its new governance code out for comment, with more explicit requirements for what boards must and should do. With Sam Roseveare, Director of Regional and National Policy at the University of Warwick, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, Jen Summerton, Operations Director at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Blood, debt, toil, and arrears: why thirty years of policy struggle has left us without the higher education system we deserve Expensive, time consuming, and unpopular – why is it so hard to end grant funding peer review? Do the silent middle get to belong in higher education? CUC Code of Governance – Draft for Public Comment

This week on the podcast we're in Reykjavik as the Office for Students (OfS) opens a consultation on a whole new approach to student protection – but with students already struggling to understand or use their rights, will a new regulatory condition actually change anything on the ground? Plus more than twenty thousand weekend students have been told to pay back maintenance loans they were given in error, and what can UK higher education learn from a week in Iceland? With Lisa Margaret Gunnarsdóttir, President of the National Union of Icelandic Students, Gary Hughes, Chief Executive at Durham Students' Union, Mack Marshall, Community and Policy Officer at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Treating students fairly, on an ongoing basis The weekend delivery scandal SUs study tour to Iceland

This week on the podcast an Australian politician has called on universities to scrap group assignments entirely, arguing they're unfair and cheapen degrees – but is the real problem the concept itself, or is it poorly designed groupwork that's giving collaboration a bad name? Plus the government axes popular management apprenticeships, and UKVI's draft proposals for rating international student sponsors go further than many expected. With Mark Peace, Professor of Innovation in Education at King's College London, Hugh Jones, independent consultant, and Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. Group essays? Pull the other one A blanket removal of funding for level 7 apprenticeships will damage government plans to boost infrastructure Amber isn’t a buffer zone in the new international RAG system – it’s a ledge

This week on the podcast recorded live at The Secret Life of Students, new Wonkhe research has found that nearly half of students worry their grades don't reflect what they actually know – so what does that tell us about how students are making decisions around AI use, and what does it mean for assessment in higher education? Plus highlights from sessions across the conference, and a tuition fees row that threatens to derail the government's Brexit reset – with the EU pushing for home fee rates for students arriving under a new youth mobility deal. With Helen King, Director of Learning Innovation, Development and Skills at Bath Spa University, Rosie Birch, Communities Officer at Brighton Students' Union and John Blake, Director at The Post-18 Project, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. An accountability moment is what makes AI work for learning A tuition fees row could sink the UK’s Brexit reset

This week on the podcast the Home Office has announced an "emergency brake" on student visas from four countries, suspending all grants to applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. What does it mean for affected students, and what happens to Chevening scholars caught in the middle? Plus the government's new social cohesion strategy and what it means for universities, and Research England's plans for research capital investment funding. With Lisa Roberts, President and Vice Chancellor at the University of Exeter, Jess Lister, Director of Education at Public First, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at Wonkhe. What the government’s Social Cohesion Action Plan means for universities and students Research Capital Investment Fund cuts ahead The “visa brake” details Student visa restrictions for four countries

This week on the podcast students are still struggling with the cost and quality of renting – so will the new Renters' Rights Act actually make things better, or could it leave fewer properties available? Plus, is transnational education a genuine strategic opportunity or just a quick fix? And the Office for Students announces a new statement of expectations on disability support. With Chris Husbands, Director at Higher Futures, Helena Vine, Lead Policy Officer for England at the Quality Assurance Agency, Livia Scott, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Students are worried about finding somewhere to live TNE can be successful when it’s taken on as a strategic agenda, not a quick fix TNE presents a quality challenge. Here’s how we solve it International recruitment and TNE are not a straight swap The international education strategy should promote quality in its TNE objectives as well as export earnings When TNE goes wrong, it’s students that suffer TNE on Wonkhe Preparing for disability regulation shouldn’t mean waiting for disability regulation Building public connection with research is about more than good communication OfS announces a set of expectations on disability adjustments and support

This week on the podcast the government has struggled to defend its position on Plan 2 student loans in a Westminster Hall debate as opposition parties offer competing sticking plasters – but can any of the proposals survive contact with the maths, and is a proper funding review now inevitable? Plus there’s cross-national evidence that suggests Britain's shrinking graduate premium is a demand-side problem that cutting courses won't fix, and a new study that finds student mental health services are bigger than ever but the students who need them most can't afford to reach them. With Mary Curnock Cook CBE, independent educationalist and former Chief Executive of UCAS, Martin Priestley, Head of Education at Mills and Reeve, David Kernohan, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at Wonkhe. If the graduate premium is falling, supply-side tinkering won’t bring it back. Student loan reform is coming. But not without a proper review. The support paradox is a poverty problem.

This week on the podcast UCL has settled with the Student Group Claim over pandemic-era teaching disruptions – but with 36 more universities now facing legal action from over 170,000 potential claimants, what does this mean for the sector? Plus the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) results are out, and we discuss the potential role of universities in arresting the decline of the high street. With Rachel Brooks, Professor of Higher Education at University of Oxford, James Dunphy, Chief Executive at Committee of University Chairs, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Who calls the shots when resolving students’ complaints? The student group claim settles out of court Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, 2025 Universities have a responsibility for the high street too

This week on the podcast MI5 has warned universities that UK higher education has become a "prime target for foreign states and hostile actors" – so what are the risks and how should the sector respond to growing concerns about security and defence? Plus what a potential Labour leadership change could mean for higher education, and Reform's threat to withhold funding from Welsh universities over free speech. With Paul Kett, Group CEO and Vice Chancellor at London South Bank University, Ben Vulliamy, Executive Director at the Association of Heads of University Administration, Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe. Intelligence agencies provide briefings on foreign interference Jacqui Smith’s secret service Was there a freedom of speech breach at Bangor?

This week on the podcast student finance has exploded into the headlines – but is the English student loan system really doomed? Backbench Labour MPs are pressing the chancellor to act, polling has revealed widespread antipathy for above-inflation interest rates, and Rachel Reeves has clashed with Martin Lewis over the freeze to repayment thresholds. Now former OfS access tsar John Blake has launched The Post-18 Project, our Wonkhe think tank, by arguing that a review of higher education funding is unavoidable and that a graduate tax should be one of the options. So is the government going to act, or will it be bounced into action? Plus UKRI has found itself in a perfect comms storm over the future of curiosity-driven research funding, and Michael Salmon sits down with Welsh minister Vikki Howells to discuss the challenges facing tertiary education. With Ben Ward, CEO at University of Manchester Students' Union, Smita Jamdar, Partner and Head of Education at Shakespeare Martineau, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe, Vikki Howells, Minister for Further and Higher Education in the Senedd and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. The Post-18 Project: A review of higher education funding is inevitable Five challenges faced by the Welsh tertiary sector Maybe a graduate tax wasn’t such a bad idea after all Welsh higher education is running out of wriggle room Wales refuses to implement Westminster’s stealth graduate tax raid Who should pay for our failing student loan system?

This week on the podcast we examine what a rise in UK university applicants really tells us about the future demand for higher education. With UCAS reporting a 4.8 per cent increase in applications at the January deadline, driven largely by a demographic peak in 18-year-olds, we explore whether this represents a genuine resurgence in demand or a temporary population effect. Plus we discuss new evidence on disabled students’ experiences in higher education, including concerns that pandemic-era accessibility is being rolled back, and the implications of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill — from pressure on NHS training places to uncertainty for students studying medicine abroad through UK-linked programmes. And Jim Dickinson is is in Canada with Wonkhe's Editor Debbie McVitty taking to Canadian HE expert Alex Usher. With Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief, Wonkhe, Alex Stanley, Vice President for Higher Education at the National Union of Students, Dani Payne, Head of Education and Social Mobility at the Social Market Foundation, David Kernohan, Deputy Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief, Wonkhe.

This week on the podcast the government has finally unveiled its new International Education Strategy – but with no headline target for international student numbers and a clear shift towards education exports, what does it mean for the sector? Plus the latest UCAS end of cycle data and what it reveals about entry qualifications at high tariff providers, and a new NUS campaign on student maintenance that’s turning the spotlight on parents. With Mike Ratcliffe, Senior Advisor at UWE Bristol, Richard Brabner, Visiting Professor of Civic Engagement at Newcastle University, Jen Summerton, Operations Director at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. UCAS End of Cycle, 2025: access and participation UCAS End of Cycle, 2025: provider recruitment strategies Graduates are paying more and getting less A new international education strategy

This week on the podcast new polling suggests over a third of students think Reform UK should be banned from speaking on campus – a higher proportion than previous surveys found for the BNP or English Defence League. So what does this tell us about free speech in higher education? Plus Scotland's budget settlement and legislative changes, and unpacking what "Mickey Mouse courses" really means. With Andy Long, Vice Chancellor at Northumbria University, Jess Lister, Director of Education at Public First, and Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at Wonkhe. 41 per cent of Reform-voting undergraduates don’t think Reform should be allowed to speak on campus So you’ve been accused of harbouring “Mickey Mouse” courses at your institution… now what? Identifying “mickey mouse” courses Scottish Budget 2026 to 2027

This week on the podcast from Nijmegen on the SUs study tour the team discuss the return of the UK to Eramus+. What steps can UK HE take to ensure that UK students take advantage of and get the benefits of mobility? Plus there’s a Private Members’ Bill on student loan timings, and the team share reflections on the associations, student leaders, curricula and food they’ve seen across Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and Switzerland. With Abi Taylor, President at Durham SU, Gary Hughes, CEO at Durham SU, Mack Marshall, Community and Policy Officer at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Re-associating with Erasmus+ is only the first step Student Finance (Review of Payment Schedules) Rhineland Study Tour blogs

This week on the podcast we examine what the rebooted 2029 Research Excellence Framework will mean for universities’ research strategies, research culture, and future funding – including the new “strategy, people and research environment” element and the renewed focus on contribution to knowledge and understanding through research outputs. Plus we discuss the government’s crackdown on franchised higher education provision and student loan eligibility, and we look back at the defining moments of 2025 in higher education policy – from regulation and finance to admissions, academic freedom and research – and consider what they might signal for universities in 2026 and beyond. With Steph Harris, Director of Policy at Universities UK, Andy Westwood, Professor of Public Policy, Government and Business at the University of Manchester, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. On the site: Re-thinking research support for English universities: Research England’s programme of work during the REF 2029 pause Everything you need to know about REF 2029 Study a Bachelors DEGREE without paying a single penny? You’re on Weekend courses can’t get student loans Sub-contractual providers need to register with OfS You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Acast, Amazon Music, Deezer, RadioPublic, Podchaser, Castbox, Player FM, Stitcher,