This report from UK think tank City-REDI outlines ways for supporting social value by building two-way relationships between universities and VCSEs. Universities can play a vital role in enhancing social value for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. This report outlines four main ways for supporting social value by building two-way relationships between...

This report from UK think tank HEPI suggests shorter courses, spreading the cost over time while encouraging lifelong updating of skills and knowledge. A new Debate Paper from the Higher Education Policy Institute by Professor Tim Blackman argues that full-time honours degrees were created when universities were small and elite institutions. They were rolled over...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines what the UK’s growing NEETs problem really looks like and how to fix it. Nearly one million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) – the highest level in over a decade. While the Government’s new...

This report from UK think tank HEPI brings together leading voices from universities, industry and policy. A new collection of essays, AI and the Future of Universities (HEPI Report 193) edited by Dr Giles Carden and Josh Freeman, brings together leading voices from universities, industry and policy. The collection comes at a point when Artificial...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines how the Opportunity Areas programme affected young people’s hopes for their future lives. Over the last 15 years the UK has seen a downward trend in young people’s optimism about their futures, particularly among those living in England’s regions. The UK is already...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores the educational backgrounds of leading figures across many sectors. The six years since Elitist Britain 2019 have been a time of political and social turbulence at home and abroad, including wars, a pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and five prime ministers. Racial diversity and...

This report from UK think tank HEPI argues the UK universities must be recognised as central pillars of national security and resilience. The Wartime University: The role of Higher Education in Civil Readiness by Gary Fisher argues UK universities must be recognised as central pillars of national security and resilience. The paper highlights how higher...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation discusses how generative artificial intelligence could pose a risk to educational standards. The government has recently issued guidance to schools on the use of AI, but it pays too little attention to the effect of GenAI tools on learning (as opposed to performance). This paper...

This report from UK think tank PBE examines the economic benefits of mentoring LGBTQ+ young people. There is still limited understanding of what works, and what does not, when supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health. While the problem is increasingly acknowledged, the evidence base around effective interventions remains limited. Our report builds the evidence on...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government examines the performance gaps in schools. The 2010s saw educational attainment increase, and disparities narrow, across England’s schools – but this progress was brought to a shuddering halt when Covid hit. Since 2019, educational inequalities have again grown wider and more pronounced, both across the...

This report from UK think tank PBE provides new evidence of the long-term economic benefits of investing early in children’s mental health. Wellbeing boosts life chances. When children feel mentally well, they do better at school, build stronger relationships and reach their life-long potential. This report provides new evidence and analysis of the long-term economic...

This report from UK think tank HEPI assesses the benefits of learning a language and the current state of play in schools and universities. In this report, Megan Bowler from the University of Oxford considers the benefits that learning a language provides and assesses the current state of play in schools and universities. She ends...

This report from UK think tank PolicyWISE proactively engages the public in actions to boost health and wellbeing for the short and longer term. Take Five to Age Well (Take Five) policy brief is aimed at policy makers from all four nations. This is a public health campaign and research project that proactively engages the...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research presents evidence from the raising of the participation age (RPA) in England. Implemented ten years ago in England, the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA) placed a duty on young people to remain in learning (although not confined to staying on at school) until...

This report from UK think tank HEPI explores the hidden impact of menstruation in higher education. The impact of menstrual cycles and periods on education is under researched. This new HEPI report aims to understand students’ experiences of menstruation education and the day-to day impact of menstrual cycles and periods on students’ higher education studies....