Project Spotlight: National Civic Impact Accelerator

In a new series of blogs, we will be reviewing the current and historical work of City-REDI. In the next blog from this series, we look at the National Civic Impact Accelerator and its recent report on demonstrating the economic impacts of civic universities.  What are the 12 pillars of civic university economic impact?  The … Continue reading “Project Spotlight: National Civic Impact Accelerator”

Birmingham’s Bright Future: Investment, Skills and Opportunity

The Birmingham Economic Review is out now! It provides a comprehensive analysis of the city’s economy as we emerge from a period of high inflation and local, regional, and national elections and actionable measures businesses and stakeholders from across the city-region can take to drive economic growth. Read the full Birmingham Economic Review 2024. Birmingham … Continue reading “Birmingham’s Bright Future: Investment, Skills and Opportunity”

Demonstrating the Economic Impacts of Civic Universities

Alice Pugh discusses the need for universities to improve how they measure and assess their civic and economic impact, particularly in relation to regional inequalities. It critiques current impact assessments for being overly prescriptive and lacking a clear rationale, urging universities to integrate these assessments into strategic frameworks and develop more dynamic, locally contextualized evaluations … Continue reading “Demonstrating the Economic Impacts of Civic Universities”

Towards a Civic University: Unpacking the Role of PhD Study in Personal Development, Professional Practice, and the World We Live In

In our latest blog, Hannes Read draws on the evidence review from the Review of the Economic and Social Value Produced through Funding PhD Students report as part of the National Civic Impact Accelerator. This blog was first posted on the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) website. The four main audiences for this blog are … Continue reading “Towards a Civic University: Unpacking the Role of PhD Study in Personal Development, Professional Practice, and the World We Live In”

What Is a Business Case? Why Are They Important to Universities?

Alice Pugh defines and explains why business cases are important for higher education research funders, government department funders, and local policymakers. This blog was first posted by the National Civic Impact Accelerator, based at Sheffield Hallam University. This is the first blog in a series looking at what a business case is and how to … Continue reading “What Is a Business Case? Why Are They Important to Universities?”

International Students in the West Midlands: Economic Impact and the Challenges of Graduate Retention

Summer intern Dimas Almaruf presents the second part of a two-part series of blogs on the economic impact of international students in the UK. Part II discusses the challenges faced by international students upon their graduation from British universities. View part I – International Students in the West Midlands: The Costs, Benefits, and Housing Implications … Continue reading “International Students in the West Midlands: Economic Impact and the Challenges of Graduate Retention”

International Students in the West Midlands: The Costs, Benefits, and Housing Implications

Summer intern Dimas Almaruf presents the first part of a two-part series of blogs on the economic impact of international students in the UK. Part I sets the scene by providing the number of students in the region. Introduction The United Kingdom has long been a favourite destination for international students to pursue their higher … Continue reading “International Students in the West Midlands: The Costs, Benefits, and Housing Implications”

EUniWell Policy Commission: Young People and the Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Paul Vallance discusses his work with EUniWell and the policy commission he was involved in looking at the education, employment, and mental health of young people across Europe. Since 2020, the University of Birmingham has been a member of EUniWell, an EU-funded alliance of 11 universities across Europe that work together to support the well-being … Continue reading “EUniWell Policy Commission: Young People and the Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic”

How Can National and Local Skills Policies Encourage Collaboration Between Universities, Colleges and Employers To Drive Productivity, Innovation and Growth?

In our latest podcast, Chris Millward, Professor of Practice in Education Policy at the School of Education, University of Birmingham talks to Peter Creticos, President and Executive Director, at the Institute for Work and the Economy in Chicago and Ewart Keep, Professor of Education, Training and Skills at the University of Oxford, about skills policy … Continue reading “How Can National and Local Skills Policies Encourage Collaboration Between Universities, Colleges and Employers To Drive Productivity, Innovation and Growth?”

Bridging the Gap: Addressing Ethnic Disparities in Higher Education Dropout Rates

Dr Kostas Kollydas discusses the multifaceted reasons behind higher education dropouts, emphasising the need to confront ethnic discrepancies in academic achievement that result in involuntary withdrawal from studies. Theoretical background The concept of dropout rates refers to the fraction of students who, for whatever reasons, abandon their course before completion. The issue of student dropouts … Continue reading “Bridging the Gap: Addressing Ethnic Disparities in Higher Education Dropout Rates”