I am sure that many UK university staff share politicians’ anger over vice-chancellors’ pay levels. The average university leader’s salary … Continue reading “In defence of ‘overpaid’ university vice chancellors”

Universities minister Jo Johnson has reported that having a degree is worth on average £250,000 in higher lifetime earnings to … Continue reading “Does the UK really need more undergraduates?”

Continued from Part 1   Like British businesses, British universities need to look outside Europe as they plan for the … Continue reading “Is Brexit a threat or an opportunity for UK higher education? (Part 2)”

Universities are the worst place to talk positively about Brexit – in one YouGov poll 9 out of 10 academic … Continue reading “Is Brexit a threat or an opportunity for UK higher education? (Part 1)”

If you were to ask an economist why financial institutions or food retailers exist, I wonder if the answer would … Continue reading “Economists need to look beyond their fancy models, and study transaction costs”

The “Australian-style” points system that the Leave campaign was advocating during the EU referendum debate might provide more control over … Continue reading “Brexit reinforces the case for market-oriented reform of Universities”

Three main policy drives – on research, teaching quality and the promotion of social mobility – mean that in recent … Continue reading “Let’s do away with ‘Excellence Frameworks’ in higher education”

The Department of Business Innovation and Skills, which in a sensible world probably wouldn’t be responsible for our universities, has … Continue reading “Oh, please: Not yet another ‘excellence framework’ for higher education”

“College students are not customers. That analogy needs to die. It needs to be drowned in the world’s largest bathtub. It needs … Continue reading “Yes, students are customers. But the customer isn’t always right”