The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast we examine the government's brutal funding cuts to universities. What does the £108m reduction in the Strategic Priorities Grant mean for higher education, and why are media studies and journalism courses losing their high-cost subject funding?When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit http://www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.Plus we discuss the independent review of student suicides, and explore new research on widening participation and regional disparities.With Shân Wareing, Vice Chancellor at Middlesex University, Richard Brabner, Executive Chair at the UPP Foundation, Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.Why not take a risk-based approach to discrimination or harassment on campus?Whatuni Student Choice AwardsFor those in HE cold spots, higher education isn’t presenting as a good betA review of student suicides suggests that standards are now necessaryWhat have coroner’s reports said about student suicide?A brutal budget for strategic priorities from the Department for EducationWhy are we so embarrassed about Erasmus?

This week on the podcast we get across the government's new immigration white paper. What does cutting the graduate route visa from two years to 18 months mean for international students and universities? Plus we examine the proposed 6 per cent levy on international student fees and tighter compliance requirements that could put some institutions at risk.We also discuss Skills Minister Jacqui Smith’s Telegraph op-ed criticizing universities for "losing sight of their responsibility to protect public money" – are her concerns reasonable?With Smita Jamdar, Partner and Head of Education at Shakespeare Martineau, Roscoe Hastings, Director of Teaching Excellence and Student Experience at the University of Exeter, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson.Everything in the immigration white paper for higher educationThere are lots of ways to be more transparent about university financesLessons from innovating in our student support modelEuro visions: A playbook to fight the populists in the Netherlands

This week on the podcast we discuss the Office for Students' financial sustainability report. What do widespread course closures and maintenance cutbacks mean for the sector's future? Plus we examine "naming and shaming" over vice-chancellor pay packages when student outcomes fall short.With Paul Greatrix, higher education expert and former registrar at the University of Nottingham, Graeme Atherton, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement at the University of West London, Livia Scott, Partnerships Coordinator at Wonkhe, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.OfS continues to sound the alarm on the financial sustainability of English higher educationPlotting VC pay against OfS progressionAre there secret government bailouts?Survey shows how the sector is cutting spendingHard raindrops keep falling on my headWith the power of knowledge – for the world

This week on the podcast we discuss the financial crisis at the University of Dundee, as a revised recovery plan reduces proposed job cuts while requesting additional funding. Is this a sustainable solution for institutions facing similar challenges?Plus we look at concerning new Wonkhe and Cibyl polling on student health, and we examine how international student policies have become political battlegrounds in global elections.With Chris Shelley, Director of Student Experience at Queen Mary University of London, Rachel MacSween, Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement (UK and Europe) at IDP, Michael Salmon, News Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief at Wonkhe.Dundee: An alternative pathway to financial recovery, Scottish Government statementLatest from Belong – students’ health is not OK, and that’s not OKCanada: The Deeper Meaning of Election 2025

This week on the podcast the SUs team has been on a study tour to universities in Lisbon in Portugal, and have reflections on everything from space to food, from interdisciplinarity to curriculum design and from Praxe to ribbon burning.With Khadiza Hossein, VP Education at UWE SU, Emillia Zirker, Student Representation Officer at Lincoln SU, Gary Hughes, CEO at Durham SU, Mack Marshall, Community and Policy Officer at Wonkhe and hosted by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.Those who fight don’t always win, but those who don’t fight always loseStudents should be co-authors of their education

This week on the podcast it’s our Easter special – and we’re diving into the highlights from The Secret Life of Students, our event that looked at a new vision for the student experience.We hear from student officers, sector experts, and campaigners on everything from the myth of the full-time model, to the pressures of placements, to the problems faced by international students. There’s testimony from nursing students, fire from SU officers challenging tokenistic consultation, and reflections on race, identity, and institutional indifference. Plus we zoom out to explore commuter challenges, disabled students, student cities and the global call for student solidarity.Hosted by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.

This week on the podcast we discuss new research on student regret, as a report from the University of Bristol reveals that while two-thirds of current undergraduates are happy with their choice of degree, it drops to less than half among recent graduates. Are improved advice and guidance really the answer?Plus we look at the collapse of the Advanced Business Academy (ABA) and its aftermath, as an Office for Students (OfS) investigation uncovers serious concerns about student placements and course delivery. And we examine new research on widening participation “cold spots” and the stark disparities in teachers’ expectations for students based on geography and school ratings.With Mary Curnock Cook, non-executive in education and edtech, Pete Quinn, inclusion consultant, Mack Marshall, Community and Policy Officer at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.

This week on the podcast - recorded live at our Secret Life of Students event in London - we get across the financial crisis facing universities in Scotland. Can the SNP hold its “free education” line forever?Plus there’s clips, highlights and reflections from our Secret life of Students event in London - where we’ve been discussing student health, students at work, what students learn, student cities, the time crunch that prevents meaningful engagement and what universities can do to “make the space” to innovate in the student interest.With Jimena Alamo, President at University of Bath Students’ Union, Mark Peace, Professor of Innovation in Education at King's College London, Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.Additional £10m funding from the Scottish GovernmentBreaking out of Borgentown – the case for hope in higher educationYou can’t change the design of a plane while it’s in flightThe SU University of Bath - Together we shape tomorrow