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”

Reconceptualising University Contribution to Knowledge Exchange: Broadening our Understanding of Motivations, Channels and Stakeholders

Fumi Kitagawa and colleagues discuss the importance of knowledge exchange for Universities, but how there remains a bias towards the commercialisation of STEM fields. This was originally published on the Centre for Innovation Management Research website. In recent years, fostering knowledge exchange (KE) between academics and external stakeholders has become increasingly important within the policy … Continue reading “Reconceptualising University Contribution to Knowledge Exchange: Broadening our Understanding of Motivations, Channels and Stakeholders”

What Characteristics Influence the Retention/Migration Decisions of Birmingham Graduates?

Anne Green and Kostas Kollydas provide a breakdown of the type of graduates that remain in the region after they complete their degrees. The skills composition of the labour force plays a vital role in a region’s productivity, economic growth and innovation capabilities. In this context, creating the conditions for retaining highly skilled university graduates … Continue reading “What Characteristics Influence the Retention/Migration Decisions of Birmingham Graduates?”

Too Many Demands are Being Placed on Universities To Support Their Regional Economies, Without Sufficient Support and Partnership

Dr James Davies discusses the pressures on Universities to support the Creative Industries, whilst themselves lacking sufficient support, industry partnerships and clarity of purpose. This blog was originally written for the Creative Industries, Policy and Data Centre. The creative industries have long been heralded as a UK success story. The creative economy grew at twice … Continue reading “Too Many Demands are Being Placed on Universities To Support Their Regional Economies, Without Sufficient Support and Partnership”

The Role of Universities in the Growth and Skills Agenda

Tom Lewis from Univerisities UK reports on the recent University Group APPG on 29th November, where they discussed the role of Universities in the growth and skills agenda. The All-Party Parliamentary University Group (APPUG) acts as a key avenue of communication between parliamentarians and vice-chancellors of the UK’s universities, providing an opportunity to examine issues … Continue reading “The Role of Universities in the Growth and Skills Agenda”

Evaluating the Local Economic Impacts of Student Knowledge Exchange

Johannes Read discusses the Impact Tool, developed to analyse the impact of student-led knowledge exchange on the local economy. The Student Knowledge Exchange Re-Imagined- Removing Barriers, Engaging Communities project is funded by the Office for Students and Research England, to improve the engagement of under-represented groups and the not-for-profit sector to remove barriers and engage … Continue reading “Evaluating the Local Economic Impacts of Student Knowledge Exchange”

Autumn Statement 2022: Implications for Research, Development and Innovation

Kelvin Humphreys looks at the impact of the Autumn Statement on Research, Development and Innovation in the UK. Last week’s Autumn Statement set the scene for £30bn in spending cuts and £25bn in tax rises to plug a £55bn hole in the public finances by 2027/28. All departments except for health and social care and … Continue reading “Autumn Statement 2022: Implications for Research, Development and Innovation”

Innovation Accelerators

Simon Collinson and Carolin Ioramashvili discuss how University-Industry Collaborations support SME Innovation in the West Midlands and Beyond. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.  The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by the University of Birmingham’s City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an … Continue reading “Innovation Accelerators”

Graduate Pathways: Identifying Patterns of Regional Retention and Attraction

In this blog, Dr Kostas Kollydas discusses his recent WMREDI report co-authored with Professor Anne Green on “Graduate pathways: Identifying patterns of regional retention and attraction”. View the report and project page Report objectives There has been an upsurge in policy interest in levelling up UK regions and exploring the mechanisms that influence the interregional … Continue reading “Graduate Pathways: Identifying Patterns of Regional Retention and Attraction”

Regional Brain Drain and Gain in the UK: Regional Patterns of Graduate Retention and Attraction

In this blog, Dr Kostas Kollydas discusses his recent WMREDI report co-authored with Dr André Carrascal-Incera, Professor Anne Green, Alex Smith and Dr Abigail Taylor on “Regional brain drain and gain in the UK: Regional patterns of graduate retention and attraction”. View and download the report Report objectives New workers with higher education qualifications can … Continue reading “Regional Brain Drain and Gain in the UK: Regional Patterns of Graduate Retention and Attraction”