Looking Ahead: 2016 and Beyond

David Sweeney

Director (Research, Education and Knowledge

Exchange)

ABS 16th March 2016

Evolution or Revolution?

David Sweeney

Director (Research, Education and Knowledge

Exchange)

ABS 16th March 2016

Political, Social and Economic Challenges • Efficiency

• Devolution/Place

• Universities as public bodies (Autonomy)

• STEM - Skills

• Social Mobility

• Impact and Research Excellence

• E&D

• Leverage

• Free Speech

It’s Fast-Moving! • Productivity, moving to Innovation (IP currently)

• Student Behaviour/Harassment

• E&D (staff)

• E&D, Student Success (aka WP/retention) – see ECU piece

• Movement on devolution/place by the week

• Universities (RG) and Apprenticeships (and the levy of course)

• Immigration Levy

• Charities Changes

• …. Conclusion – Challenge because we matter more

Green Paper

• Teaching Quality & TEF

• Social Mobility

• Level Playing Field for new and existing providers

• Reforming the HE architecture (Student Interest)

• Reducing complexity and bureaucracy (including Research)

• ….Summarised as putting in place what is needed to meet external challenges

• HE Bill expected in Queens Speech, trailed as 'opening up the market'

Not in the Green Paper • Prevent

• Postgraduates (Loans) in Spending Review and Budget(?)

• Part-time Provision - SR2015

• Research - SR2015

• Knowledge Exchange (aka University/Business relations) – National Innovation Plan to come at some point

• Data (in Green Paper but also Data Landscape and Data Futures) – efficiency challenge in HEFCE Grant Letter

.

The Nurse Report • Research UK

• NDPB – arms-length from government

• Central research fund

• Admin burden reduced

• Map research landscape across all funders

• Perhaps Integrating Innovate UK, HEFCE research

• Ministerial Committee

• Maintain Dual Support – demonstrated by HEFCE Grant Letter

• REF review

SR2015 • PG Loans, up to 60yrs old, 6% repayment, Distance Learning

over 50% intensity

• Public funding for second degrees in STEM

• P/T maintenance loans

• Dependants allowed entry for PG students on courses more than one year

• Support for increasing overseas numbers

• Student Opportunity funding reduced – more responsibility for universities on access

SR2015 (2) • Apprenticeship Levy at 0.5%, includes universities

• Employer-led body for apprenticeship standards – Institute for Apprenticeships

.

Drivers for Devolution • Long run structural under

performance, poor productivity and widening disparities across many local areas

• Emerging understanding and policy prescription of economies of agglomeration

• Need for new capacities for local growth

• Universities increasingly emerging as most important anchor institutions

• From factors of production to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

• Overcoming a false ‘trade off’ between excellence and local growth

• Reconciling complex / variable geographies for different domains

• Managing cultural complexities of multi-level governance

• From stakeholder engagement to performance management of effective partnerships, both within and across sectors

Strategic Choices (not just for HEIs)

Indirect

• ‘Pull’ pressures from the (rapidly contracting) wider local state, often with demands for commissioning / collaboration across governance areas

• Placed based innovation and Higher Level Skills in local Strategic Economic Plans

• Related public services (e.g. strategic planning) and funding sources (e.g. transport)

• Non traditional forms of investment (business support, land, transport, mixed use)

Devolution: Indirect Implications for HEIs

• European Investment Bank / EFSI

• UKTI Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) / Sovereign Wealth Funds

• Municipal & Green Bonds, and Green Investment Bank

• Pan-LEP Venture Capital Funds & targeting by British Business Bank and Innovate UK

• Combined Authority Investment Funds

• Tax Increment Financing / Enterprise Zones and Localisation of Business Rates

New Sources and Forms of Funding

Thank you for listening

d.sweeney@hefce.ac.uk