Higher education news for libraries and librarians

Poor preservation threatens the scholarly blogging ecosystem. What makes scholarly blogs sustainable and how can these practices be promoted?

The government should establish a network of university technology-adoption centres as the backbone of an upgraded national tech-diffusion system. This is according to a new publication from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which takes its inspiration from Germany’s Mittelstand-Digital Innovation Hubs and other initiatives around the world – universities would deliver training, help build business networks, and support a “CTO-as-a-service” offer for SMEs.

This report examines how open science practices contribute to research culture, drawing on a scoping review of academic and grey literature.
Commissioned by Science Europe, this report is the result of a collaboration between the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University and the Open and Reproducible Research Group at Know Center GmbH. They explored the contributions and unintended consequences of open science in realising results that align with key research culture values such as equity, openness, integrity, care, collaboration, and autonomy, with the aim of informing future policy and research agendas.
This work forms part of Science Europe's strategic reflections on how open science and research assessment reform are interconnected, and builds on the results of a 2024 survey amongst its membership on the topic.

Chartered ABS Annual Membership Survey 2025: Financial sustainability becomes the top priority for business schools

The conclusions and recommendations of the independent review of the curriculum, assessment and qualifications system in England.

Drawing on data from focus groups, surveys, and award applications, Uncovering Skills finds that students – particularly international, disabled, and widening participation cohorts – struggle to recognise the value of skills gained outside formal study, such as through part-time work or caring responsibilities. The report calls for inclusive, curriculum-embedded employability strategies, ethical use of AI, and consistent terminology across institutions to ensure that all students can connect their learning with future opportunities.

Civic 2:0 is a programme to engage national and regional policymakers in the economic and social role higher education institutions play in their towns, cities and regions.

The essential resource for understanding graduate destinations, with findings from the UK's largest higher education survey, insights from careers advice experts and detailed subject overviews.

Download Publication Independent Analysis Online Reader This new report by Policy Exchange makes the case that University Technical Colleges (UTCs) can play a vital role in addressing the UK’s profound skills crisis. 27% of all job vacancies are now liked to skills shortages, with skills gaps set to cost up to £120 billion annually by the end of the decade. The report argues that UTCs have made significant progress in […]

Skills England Applies to England Foreword In a time of rapid technological change and shifting economic priorities, it’s vital to equip our workforce with the right skills. The Assessment of priority skills to 2030 report offers a detailed analysis of future employment needs across ten critical...

In partnership with Ufi VocTech Trust, the RSA convened the Digital Badging Commission in 2024 to examine how digital credentials can transform skills recognition in the UK. Read the Commission's final report.

Ten leading research-focused universities have formed a new strategic partnership.‘ResearchPlus’ gives a collective voice to universities that constitute a critical element of the UK’s research and innovation system, and that deliver vital research-informed education and advanced skills.

As the COVID-19 Inquiry concludes its look at education and young people having overlooked university students, Jim Dickinson dissects a damning record of political failure, regulatory evasion and a system that left students to bear the costs of the pandemic. As the COVID-19 Inquiry concludes its look at education and young people having overlooked university students, Jim Dickinson dissects a damning record of political failure, regulatory evasion and a system that left students to bear the costs of the pandemic.