In this paper, we engage with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) -- the UK government's national policy tool for competitive allocation of scarce research funding. Success on the terms of the REF provides guaranteed income for UK Universities for a 6- or 7-year period -- and as a result, we suggest that the REF operates as an asset-like…

This paper aims to assess the degree of the income diversification of the UK higher education providers as a component of their overall financial resilience. In addition, we investigate a correlation between ranking, income diversification, and income size. The main research question is whether the higher ranking of the universities, in…

Performance-based research funding systems have been extensively used around the globe to allocate funds across higher education institutes (HEIs), which led to an increased amount of literature examining their use. The UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) uses a peer-review process to evaluate the research environment, research outputs and…

This study analyses the effect of a change of focus in a traditional mission (teaching) of higher education institutions (HEIs) on the variety and intensity of knowledge exchange (KE) activities. In doing so, it bridges two partially disconnected streams of the literature in science and innovation focusing on HEI missions and heterogeneity in HEI…

This work adopts a case study approach to examine the emergence of engineering education research (EER) within the UK. First, a summary of the contextual factors influencing UK EER activity are presented. This section includes information pertaining to higher education (HE) policy, networks, and funding. Semi structured interviews are used to…

Medical education in Jordan has evolved rapidly in the last 50 years as successive governments and higher education leaders have responded swiftly to developing healthcare sector demands. Despite significant progress being made, there remain a substantial number of challenges for the Jordanian medical education system that require careful…

Children with disabilities remain among the most excluded from education in Global Partnership for Education (GPE) partner countries and other lower-income countries. Despite considerable activity funded both through GPE and by other donors, as well as by partner countries themselves, the level of international support to inclusive education…

UK Aid has been aiding school education in Pakistan since long. Historically, Pakistan has received the largest aid from UK aid in education sector but little research is done to evaluate the role of this aid. For this purpose, an evaluative case study research design was used to evaluate the role of UK Aid. Qualitative research approach was…

There is limited experience with innovation policies in rural areas, often based on a one-size-fits-all approach. However, rural businesses have diverse needs and there is difficulty in applying smart specialisation approaches for the use of European Union Cohesion funding in rural areas. A key resource in rural areas is the local university, and…

In 2024, Instructure convened a Commission of higher education and lifelong learning experts to assess emerging policies related to skills development, including the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and the Growth and Skills Levy (GSL). These policies aim to reform how education and training are funded and delivered to provide flexibility to…

Informal Student Carers (ISC) are students across the UK who provide unpaid care to a friend or family member needing support. We explored the lived experiences of ISCs and the challenges they faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A scoping review, questionnaire-based survey and volunteer interviews were undertaken to identify the themes which…

As humanity reaches the 5.0 industrial revolution, education plays a critical role in boosting the quality of human resources. This paper reports bibliometric research on emerging TiP during 1993-2022 in the educational field to analyse its development on any level of education during the last three decades. This study employed a Scopus database.…

In higher education, international research collaboration functions as a visible mechanism of cooperation and competition, serving as a proxy for quality and academic excellence. Open universities use revolutionary education models but are not often associated with quality or academic excellence. To investigate the impact of international research…

This HEPI Report considers the strategies adopted by higher education institutions to support students affected by the cost-of-living crisis. It finds they are adopting a range of measures, such as supporting students with the costs of food and drink, providing means-tested and unconditional funding, subsidising student activities, and opening…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of overhead rates on research application award success. The pressure to maximize overheads to fund the indirect costs associated with operating a research-intensive university and the perception that higher overhead rates disadvantage research proposals create an unhealthy tension between…