By Shirley Pearce. There are shifts in both the nature of the provision and in the demands of those who seek information about the quality of this provision. Over the next decade there will be greater diversity of providers and provision, new applications of digital and internet-based learning, and increasingly global patterns of delivery. More...

By Geoffrey Crossick. In this post, Professor Geoffrey Crossick introduces his report on monographs and open access, outlining the key messages of the report and giving his personal take on the issues and the wider contexts. More...

By Madeleine Atkins. Much has changed in England over the last five years: the higher education ‘market’ has opened up to new providers, the student number control cap on expansion has been removed for publicly funded higher education institutions, and a transition from block grant-based funding to student loan-based funding of teaching has taken place. More...

By Tracy Allan. The second day of HEFCE’s 2015 conference, on 5 February, focussed on the theme of higher education and local growth. First at the lectern was Andy Street, Managing Director of the John Lewis Partnership and Chair of one of England’s 39 local economic partnerships (LEPs). More...

By Davina Madden. How many new innovation tools are being pioneered in UK universities? Does higher education have an adequate innovation system of its own? Do our higher education institutions know What Works? More...

By Janet Ilieva. At first glance of the Higher Education Statistical Agency’s data on student enrolments for 2013-14 I breathed a great sigh of relief. International student demand is showing strong signs of recovery. The numbers of EU students look positive, although levels are still below those in 2010.  Demand from India seems to have levelled off at undergraduate level and there’s almost no change in student numbers from Pakistan. More...

By Janet Ilieva. The difference is traditionally attributed to students’ socio-economic background, family and work commitments, age profile among others. HEFCE’s latest report, ‘Directions of travel’, shows that these student groups are increasingly converging. More...

By Steven Hill. Next week the wait will be over, the results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) will be released to the world. In the run up to the big announcement it isn’t surprising that there is plenty of commentary about the REF, its perceived strengths and weaknesses, its costs and benefits, the funding outcomes, and of course the future of and planning for the next exercise. More...

By Steven Hill. Earlier this week the Nuffield Council on Bioethics launched the report of its enquiry into scientific research culture. HEFCE’s Steven Hill was invited to respond to the report at the launch event, and this post is a summary of his comments. More...

By Steven Hill. The cost of implementing open access policies in the UK remains a hot topic. It is part of the deliberations of the review of RCUK policy of which I am a member, and the question of costs continues to be raised in the context of the open access requirements for the next Research Excellence Framework. More...