Four futures
What will happen to England’s universities after the election?
Chris Husbands considers possible scenarios for the future of higher education in England.
Based on an analysis of recent trends in funding and policy, the paper considers how the shape and structure of higher education may change. The analysis considers the possible choices for government and for sector leaders under different scenarios.
About the Author
Professor Sir Chris Husbands undertook senior roles in universities for more than two decades, most recently serving as Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University from 2016 to 2023.
Sir Chris was Chair of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) between 2017 and 2023. He is a member of the Jisc Board. He was on the Board of Universities UK between 2019 and 2023. In 2023, he joined the HEPI Advisory Board. He is now a Founding Partner in Higher Futures, which supports strategic development in higher education institutions.
Sir Chris is an Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was knighted for services to higher education in 2018.
Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to Richard Calvert, Shitij Kapur, Mary Curnock Cook, Natalie Day, Janice Kay, James Purnell and Andy Westwood for comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper; the errors remain my own.