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The most severe cuts to UK research funding in a generation – with far-reaching consequences.
Words by Elena Isayev, Professor of Ancient History and Place at the University of Exeter. Anita Entale, a Rwandan-born scientist, was developing cheap methods to clean contaminated water supplies, supported by a Royal Society grant. She is one of the numerous...
Academic freedom is in crisis; free speech is not
Words by Liz Morrish, independent scholar. In August 2020, the UK think tank The Policy Exchange produced a report on Academic Freedom in the UK, alleging a chilling effect for staff and students expressing conservative opinions, particularly pro-Brexit or...
News round-up: Proposed redundancies spark fresh outrage
Waves of redundancies announced at the University of Leicester, Kent, and Chester have sparked outrage across the higher education community. Students and fellow staff have responded by creating petitions, open letters, or have demanded that highest paid staff take...
Universities must leverage finances for climate justice
Words by J Clarke, Co-Director of Climate Campaigns at People & Planet, the UK’s largest student network campaigning on social and climate justice issues. The fossil fuel divestment movement has been incredibly successful on an international scale, making a...
News round-up: Government criticised for cutting global research budget
Thousands of academics from leading British universities have signed an open letter calling on the government to reverse their decision to cut £120 million of funding for global research: "We deplore the short-term view of this research funding, that has created an...
Introducing the Right2Learn Campaign
Words by Right2Learn The Right2Learn campaign was founded in December 2020 with a simple mission: to campaign for a legal right to learn throughout life. This mission drew on the work of the Lifelong Learning Commission set up by the Labour Party in 2018 which...
News round-up: When will we see the return to university campuses?
As the government prepares to gradually ease Covid-19 restrictions, with the hope of returning 'to normal life' by late June, university staff and students have been left wondering when, or if, they will be expected to resume face-to-face teaching and return to...
Decolonising the Curriculum or ‘Operation Legacy’?
Words by Gurminder K Bhambra, Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies at the University of Sussex. The government minister responsible for universities, Michelle Donelan, has commented that the ‘so-called decolonisation of the curriculum is censoring...
News round-up: Free speech debate intensifies
The "free-speech debate" has intensified after the government announced it would introduce a 'Free Speech Champion' for higher education who will have the powers to fine universities or student unions that restrict free speech. The announcement has been met with...
News round-up: Government urged to waive student loan interest fees
The government has announced a £50 million hardship fund for students who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. However, some feel more could be done to help students, with a group of vice-chancellors calling on the government to go further and waive student...
