SHU press release

A panel of experts from the world of higher education are set to debate the future of universities in England following the publication of the Government’s review of post-18 education funding.

The event, being hosted by Sheffield Hallam University, will focus on the Government’s review led by Philip Augar and the marketisation of English higher education.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Chris Husbands and Professor of Higher Education Policy at Sheffield Hallam, Colin McCaig, will be joined on the panel by Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Director of External Relations at UCAS, Helen Thorne MBE.

The review, which was published on 30 May, recommended a reduction in university tuition fees, the reintroduction of maintenance grants and an extension to loan repayment terms.

It also recommended better funding for further education colleges to boost social mobility and productivity.

The discussion will look at the potential impacts of the review’s recommendations, the marketisation of higher education and the panel’s expectations for the future of universities across the country.

The event is led by the University’s Sheffield Institute of Policy Studies (SIPS) and will also focus on the recently published book The Marketisation of English Higher Education by Professor McCaig who is a Director of SIPS.

The book analyses the five stages of marketisation over the last 30 years and the discussion will explore common themes as well as contingencies in policy development.

Professor McCaig said: “This will be a great opportunity to set the Augar review and its recommendations in relation to its historical context, as set out by the development of marketised policies over recent decades and in particular the Higher Education and Research Act (2017).

“One of the key questions will be: to what extent will Augar’s recommendations support or disrupt the direction of policy travel.”

The panel event takes place on 24 June at Sheffield Hallam University. You can book a place at the event here.