Contents
- Foreword Tim Melville-Ross CBE
- Chapter 1 The context for English higher education (Commentary – Professor David Eastwood)
- Chapter 2 The shape of the sector (Commentary – Sir David Watson)
- Chapter 3 Research, innovation and wealth creation (Commentary – Dame Marjorie Scardino)
- Chapter 4 Contribution to the public good (Commentary Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell)
- Chapter 5 The student experience (Commentary – Wes Streeting)
- Chapter 6 Funding and accountability (Commentary – Sir Andrew Cubie)
- Chapter 7 Looking ahead (Discussion - Ed Smith, Professor David Eastwood, Sir Mark Walport, Professor Janet Beer)
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
Foreword
Higher education has become such a vast enterprise that it is easy to lose sight of the variety of roles universities and colleges now perform. While the growth in undergraduate numbers has given many more families first-hand experience of the higher education sector, the breadth of universities’ research and the work they do with business and local communities have huge implications for the economy and society.
Over the past decade, not only has higher education in England doubled in size, but the image of the ivory tower has been banished for good. Among both students and staff, there are more women, more ethnic minorities and more from other sections of society that traditionally have been under-represented in universities. At the same time, much more has been expected of institutions in terms of their wider engagement locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
I saw this at first hand when I chaired the council of the University of Essex. But since taking over my current role at the Higher Education Funding Council for England, I have become aware of the full extent of the changes and am keen that they should be better known outside the academic community.
This report is intended to demonstrate to a wide audience the way universities and colleges have taken on new challenges and become central to the economic and social fabric of the nation. It also confirms that higher education in England has maintained – and in many areas enhanced – its international reputation. At this time of economic uncertainty, there is also welcome evidence that higher education can be an engine of recovery. Whether through provision of essential skills, the pursuit of discoveries that can help maintain our competitiveness, or through direct assistance to struggling companies, the higher education sector has much to offer. How many people realise that, as well as conducting large-scale research such as mapping the human genome, universities are running bus companies, providing arts and sports facilities for the public, and assisting small firms with business planning?
Whether in periods of plenty or in downturns, the central purpose of universities and colleges will always be the pursuit of excellence in teaching and research. And while they have an important place in supporting the economy, their role in building a just and vibrant society is just as important. Universities and colleges are at the forefront of cultural developments, and help to instil values in their graduates that make for healthy and socially active citizens.
University researchers have been responsible for breakthroughs in medicine that have saved countless lives, and they are at the cutting edge of the debate on climate change. They also offer advice and guidance on the full range of social policy, from policing to education, both locally and nationally.
In many areas, higher education institutions have become the largest employers and a focal point for the community. This report looks at the evidence about how successfully they have adapted to their new roles and what the prospects are for the future. The signs are that the sector will become still more diverse over the coming years, and play an even greater role in the life of the nation.
Tim Melville-Ross CBE
Chair, HEFCE
