Skills, Research and Higher Education: A Vision for the New Government
Focusing on the role universities play as key drivers of economic growth and social mobility, we are making recommendations for how the higher education sector can help policy-makers tackle some of the challenges facing the world.
Policy recommendations
- Safeguard routes for international students to engage with UK universities
- Commit to working hand in hand with the UK’s higher education sector to both safeguard and enhance our universities as a national asset
- Ensure that the knowledge and resources of universities are included in local growth plans
The UK’s universities are amongst our most important national assets. Through education and skills, research and development, and our work with students, staff, local communities and partners, universities make a positive and lasting impact on individuals and society.
The UK’s research universities are recognised internationally as operating at the frontier of knowledge. In collaboration with a government that is committed to UK research – we can achieve even more – starting with a robust and forward-looking Industrial Strategy that connects research, innovation, and skills to drive productivity-led growth.
Changing how the world works
The report also offers policy recommendations in relation to research challenge themes which align with mission-driven government. These include:
- Support for the progression of life-changing technologies to market with investment to scale and grow start-up companies through technology readiness levels, creating a well-developed ecosystem for deep tech organisations in the UK and long-term returns for the economy
- Enhanced support and initiatives to accelerate a national strategy for materials innovation, aligning government, industry, and academia, on the synergies and opportunities to ensure the UK maintains a world-leading position in rapidly expanding materials markets
- Establishing new, diverse, forests, and the sustainable management of existing forests. Introduce highly-skilled ‘forest GPs’ as the intellectual and policy equals of medical and veterinary practitioners for a healthy and sustainable UK
- Enable the untapped potential for innovation in healthcare technology and life sciences research by improving incentives for starting and scaling up businesses, extending innovation accelerators, and implementing the recommendations of the O'Shaughnessy report for commercial clinical trials
- Ensure that the healthcare system exploits the benefits of artificial intelligence for every UK citizen through the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Regulatory Science & Innovation in Digital and AI Healthcare
- Ensure access to culture and heritage for all as a crucial component of wellbeing, representation, and inclusivity and embed SEN provision in the delivery of literary heritage that is part of the National Curriculum, such as Shakespeare
Our Pathways to Birmingham (P2B) program helps students from diverse backgrounds access higher education, while the Birmingham Scholar scheme supports students from underrepresented backgrounds in achieving their full potential. Our work in outreach and access to Higher Education is supported via our membership of the AimHigher West Midlands partnership, which has benefited over 61,000 learners and 195 schools.
Our economic and social impact
The University of Birmingham’s total economic impact has been calculated by London Economics at £4.4 billion. Based on data from the 2021-22 academic year, the University supports nearly 20,000 FTE jobs in the UK. More than 13,000 of those are in the West Midlands, with 1 in 50 jobs in Birmingham being directly provided by the University. Thirty-six percent of students are first generation from their family to attend university.
As England’s first redbrick university founded to serve the public good, our history of civic and regional engagement is as old as the University itself. We take seriously our responsibility to foster community relationships and drive economic, social, and cultural growth.
