REF 2029, franchising crackdown, year in review
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...
Student loans, research funding, Wales
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 wit...
#022 - Michael Salmon
Michael Salmon's journey as a chef is rooted in a deep respect for simple, seasonal food. After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, he honed his skills at top spots like the 21 Club and Arcadia in New York, where he embraced the farm-to-table philosophy. He’s cooked for icons like Jack...
Immigration brake, social cohesion, research capital
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...
Holyrood and Senedd elections, OfS v Sussex
This week on the podcast as voters in Scotland and Wales head to the polls on 7 May, what do the manifestos mean for higher education? North of the border all parties bar Reform have committed to protect free undergraduate tuition, and much of the bigger thinking sits with the joint Scottish gove...
Chef Michael Salmon: So You Want to Build A Human-Centered Restaurant?
Chef Michael Salmon shares his journey from classic New York fine dining and celebrity private chef work to building a focused, community-driven chicken concept in Florida: Flybird. The conversation explores food philosophy, simplicity in menus, restaurant economics, and the importance of culture...
PhD students, Burnham
This week on the podcast we ask why UKRI is spending more on PhD studentships while the number of funded starts falls. New analysis shows doctoral stipends have taken priority over the volume of studentships, with UKRI-funded starts 22 per cent lower than a decade ago – so do we have the right nu...
International recruitment, graduate social mobility
This week on the podcast Home Office figures show more than 20,000 fewer study visa applications in August than a year earlier – so is the fall in international recruitment catastrophic for university finances, or merely extremely bad?
Universities UK International wants enrolments to return to g...
Burnham, SUs, Year ahead
This week on the podcast we discuss what Andy Burnham’s new government could mean for higher education, following his first appearance before MPs and a statement setting out priorities on post-16 education, industrial strategy and the role of universities in economic growth.
With promises on devo...
Public opinion, Missing middle
This week on the podcast a third of the public now thinks a university education just isn't worth the time and money it usually takes, according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey – a share that has climbed steeply from 14 per cent in 2005.
We dig into what is driving the erosion of pu...
