Students come to a Russell Group institution because of expertise/access to research staff. There is something unique about this contact with experts who can immerse students in research/talk about the field as it develops – it is a major advantage for universities such as Birmingham and the structure and organisation of the university needs to promote it.
Students are increasingly opting for different paths into and through Higher Education. This will have implications for how Higher Education programmes are structured and an increasing demand for flexibility – in programmes offered by all universities, including research intensive institutions such as Birmingham.
Through the digital world, everyone will be able to ‘meet’ the Nobel Prize winner for their field, but there will still need to be an appropriate balance between digital and face-to-face learning. Students will still want and value face to face contact for learning and feedback. This will require flexible learning spaces to allow interaction in learning groups.