As we peer into our crystal ball to discern the shape of 2023 it’s hard not to conclude that the higher education sector might be the only part of the British state that’s still working as it should.
There’s (probably) a proverb about the inadvisability of speculating about future events at a time of political change. And as politicians scramble to look in control of events, we’re not overly optimistic about the likelihood of a fresh new English HE policy agenda or funding in 2023.
So instead, at Wonkhe we’re wondering about the conversations we think might be happening on campuses – the issues that most directly affect universities’ mission, thinking, and the experiences of university staff and students.
James Coe sets out the choices facing cash-strapped universities, and Michael Salmon warns of closer scrutiny on international recruitment. Jim Dickinson worries about the residential model of higher education, and Sunday Blake wonders where all the students have gone. David Kernohan asks why despite some politicians’ best efforts higher education remains an overwhelmingly popular choice among young people, and Debbie McVitty predicts a turn towards Labour as the main parties compete to be taken seriously ahead of a General Election next year.
