Following a restful Bank Holiday weekend, it is all gearing up again in Westminster with the vote of confidence in the Prime Minister. While confidence was passed, it seems clear that there will be change at the top, with rumours of a reshuffle ever present.

Away from Westminster, I was delighted to attend the Launch of the London Recovery Board's action plan for addressing structural inequalities at City Hall. The action plan, and the work behind it by the London Recovery Board, demonstrates an innovative, partner-driven shift in London’s work to tackle deep-seated inequalities. As The London Higher Civic Map shows, London’s higher education institutions are rooted in their communities, working with civil society and other agencies to benefit local communities and make a positive difference to London society. We look forward to discussing the Action Plan with our members.

 
Following our joint roundtable in April 2022, hosted at the University of Westminster, London Higher have launched a joint position paper with Centre for London, outlining the crucial role London's universities and higher education colleges play in addressing London's own levelling up needs, as well as contributing to wellbeing and prosperity across the UK.

As we begin to digest the results of the REF it has been great to see the diversity of London’s research sector showcased across the press. Professor Andrew Linn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Westminster has written about the mark of a good REF, and how to turn values into impact, and Christopher Daley, Research Development Manager, and Dr Matthew Smith, Senior Lecturer in Public Humanities, at Royal Holloway, University of London have written about  the Role of the Arts and Humanities in the UK Research Policy Landscape, something at which London excels. At London Higher, we have discussed the role of London’s research sector in attracting international talent and look forward to working with our research excellence network on further showcasing cases studies as they are released this month.

At the end of May I was delighted to speak on a panel at the Hay Festival 2022 in association with the University of Worcester entitled, ‘How should higher education become fit for the future?’, discussing how higher education institutions can better article the role they play in education and society. You can read a roundup of my comments here.

Following our board elections, I am pleased to welcome our new board members for 2022-23; Professor Dave Pheonix, Vice Chancellor of London South Bank University will be joining, and Professor David Latchman, Vice- Chancellor  of Birkbeck University will be continuing as a board member.

Finally, a big congratulations from all at London Higher to Professor Paul Layzell, Principal, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Chair of London Higher from 2017 until July 2021 who was awarded a well-deserved CBE in The Queen’s Jubilee Honours list.

This month’s policy update has been written by Sally Burtonshaw, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer at London Higher.

London’s diversity is one of its many strengths; as a city it means different things to the many different people who are part of its multifaceted community. At London Higher we have highlighted the valuable work undertaken across the membership in their local communities across the capital through our Civic Map. The Civic Map embodies London as a local place however, unlike any other city in the UK, London is also a global city, attracting millions of people each year as tourists, through business and, notably as international students who have travelled to the city to study.


In 2019, the Government published its International Education Strategy, setting a target of 600,000 international students attending UK universities by 2030 with an annual education export market of 35 billion. London’s HEIs formed an integral part of these plans as institutions across the capital welcome more than twice the number of international students each year as any other region.

The Strategy, and the subsequent commitments to support international students through the post study work visa, reinstated in 2021, have helped to increase the appeal of the UK as a destination international study. The fact that the goal of 600,000 international students has been achieved eight years early is a positive reflection of the appeal of UK HE abroad. However, at a recent London Higher Roundtable in conjunction with Oxford International, former Universities Minister the Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP cautioned against the UK resting on its laurels, highlighting the challenges of Brexit and the competition for students from other countries such as America, Canada and Australia. Moreover, the ambitions of the sector have not been matched in the updated 2021 Strategy, which does not provide further targets or policy ambitions.

London Higher’s members are rising to the challenge to innovate and support Government to ensure the UK and London continues to be the destination of choice for those students seeking to study abroad. Over the last few months, London Higher’s International Network has run a series of events on the different challenges and opportunities for London as an international destination including; business and enterprise, security, student experience and alumni, with a final event focused on TNE on 27 June. These discussions have enabled members to come together to discuss ideas and hear from those both within the sector and externally.

We look forward to bringing these discussions together and publishing our Pan London International Strategy in time for the next academic year, setting out London’s collective ambitions for international students going forwards.

If you would like to be part of the discussions please contact Sally Burtonshaw on sally.burtonshaw@londonhigher.ac.uk
 

This month’s networks update has been written by Darren de Souza, Policy and Projects Officer at London Higher.

Whilst many across the nation enjoyed the pageantry and ceremony of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we at London Higher are also marking a milestone – the last round of Network meetings since Sally and I joined last autumn!

 
The glorious sunshine in late May amplified the Operations Network’s last meeting of the academic year at the University of East London’s University Square Stratford Campus (USS). This network has been at the forefront of institutional responses to the pandemic and has recently begun to consider wider topics of interest and best practice, such as the impact of campus environments on student and staff experience.

In this vein, we were fortunate to welcome Lydia Pell, Interim Deputy Director of Student Services, and Dr Michelle Morgan, Dean of Students, both of the University of East London, to discuss the University Mental Health Charter. In the spirit of fostering cross-network collaboration, we were also joined by colleagues from the London Higher Mental Health and Wellbeing Network, to consider the Charter’s application process, themes and operational aspects of delivery. After the meeting we were treated to a fascinating tour of the USS campus, including its state-of-the-art mock courtroom and finance trading floor!

The EDI Network also reflected on the topic of awards, charters and institutional frameworks as we welcomed Claire Herbert, Founder and Consultant at Advancing EDI to our 18 May meeting. Claire was previously involved in developing and launching the Race Equality Charter and moderating Athena SWAN awards at AdvanceHE. Charter marks are visible tools that highlight institutional commitment to improving practices for people with specific protected characteristics and reinforce the notion that higher education is working to address institutional inequities. We are grateful to Claire for taking the time to share her expertise with us – and on her birthday! It was an especially timely presentation in light of recent sentiment rallying against these awards; a piece in support of evidence-based action on racial inequality can be found here.

The Planners Network heard from Andrew Hargreaves, Founder of DataHE, on forecasted changes in demand for HE and the implications for London HEIs. Dr Sol Gamsu and Emma Maslin, both of Durham University, also kindly travelled down to speak with the Network on this topic, as well as the impact of student mobilities in a London context. Dr Gamsu’s 2018 report for the Sutton Trust entitled ‘Home and Away: Social, ethnic and spatial inequalities in student mobility’ can be found here.

Between this newsletter and July’s edition, London Higher will have convened eight in-person network meetings, and we sincerely cannot wait to see so many of our members and their fantastic campuses over the coming month.

If you would like to discuss any of our networks, please contact Sally at sally.burtonshaw@londonhigher.ac.uk or find her on twitter @SallyBurtonshaw, or Darren at darren.desouza@londonhigher.ac.uk or find him on twitter @darren_desouza.

This month’s Chair’s blog comes from Sofia Jabeen, Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), London School of Economics and Political Science, and Chair of the London Higher Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network

I am very pleased to share an update with you on behalf of the London Higher Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Network. EDI is always an important and cross-cutting theme, however, the current socio-economic challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis across the nation - felt particularly acutely in the capital - highlight how many of these challenges disproportionately impact different intersections of our communities, such as race, gender, and class.
 
 
Ultimately, EDI underpins all areas of work and its implications must be considered in all decision-making across the sector. For example, analysis included in London Higher’s response to the recent DfE Consultation on HE Reform shows that minimum eligibility requirements for student loans would exert a disproportionate and unjustifiable impact on individuals with characteristics protected under equalities legislation. This would have a significant negative impact upon the access and participation agenda, undoing the valuable work that many London higher education providers have been undertaking in recent years to support social mobility in the capital.

The EDI Network provides opportunities for EDI practitioners and leaders from across the London Higher membership to share resources, build a community and benefit from an open forum for discussion, with a view to shaping best practice and impactful initiatives. Since I became Chair of the EDI Network in February, I have found the opportunity to discuss challenges and best practice from across the city invaluable. It is crucial that this network is a safe space where members and their contributions are valued, and EDI work across and beyond the sector is championed, but in addition to facilitating discussion, we must ensure that we make an impact.

Current projects such as the London Higher Global Majority Mentoring Programme and the recent EDI in Doctoral Schools event show a clear commitment from the London Higher membership to diversify the talent pipeline at all levels of HEIs and provide an effective platform for improving career progression for people from under-represented groups.

We are determined to work with the wider London Higher membership to ensure that London HE is seen as providing valuable opportunities for progression for everyone, irrespective of background or circumstance. This network is an important vehicle to collaborate and communicate this work.
 

This month’s AccessHE update comes from Emily Dixon, London Programmes and Communications Coordinator at AccessHE

As we head into the summer, AccessHE has a lot of events coming up both for London’s students and university sector staff. Upcoming roundtable discussions and Q&A panels include events on our current modern foreign languages research and our much anticipated discussion between John Blake, the Director for Fair Access and Participation, and London institutions. AccessHE’s forums are also looking forward to discussion events on e-resources and technology for disabled students and a combined session with ImpactEd on how we can best evaluate school-university partnership work.

Following successful delivery in its first school, Primary Futures will begin delivery in a second school in north east London this month. The project will give Year 5 pupils the opportunity to hear from engineers, digital marketing professionals, university lecturers, motivational speakers, and other industries. We are also looking forward to holding ‘pop up hospitals’ in partnership with GenMedX in several schools in Havering, giving school students the opportunity to experience healthcare roles in a practical and immersive way.
 

This month LHEG were proud to sponsor the Educator of the Year award at the Student Nursing Times Awards. The awards recognise individuals across the sector for their hard work, innovation, and dedication to nursing education. Congratulations to all of the winners, and particularly to Emilie Edwards, midwifery lecturer at Middlesex University London, winner of the Educator of the Year award for her advocacy for neurodivergent students.

LHEG are still accepting applications for their funding opportunity worth up to £30,000 for a project that will support innovative healthcare education projects of benefit to London through collaboration. Projects will need to be designed and delivered between at least two universities or a university and a partner organisation and must have measurable outputs that benefit healthcare education in London.

For further information on the fund, please contact Matt Purcell on matt.purcell@londonhigher.ac.uk
 

The London Higher Summer Event, Wednesday 22 June 2022, Central London, Church House 

“Greening the future”: heads of institutions roundtable, 15:30-16:30 *Invite only*

London Higher Summer Reception, 16:30-18:30

The London Higher Summer Event this year will be held in the heart of Westminster, and will be focused on sustainability, following the recent announcement of five new climate knowledge partnerships with London Councils and the work of the London Higher Sustainability Network throughout this academic year.  At this Chatham House discussion for heads of institutions or their senior representatives, we will have the opportunity to hear from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and other speakers, to celebrate members’ current contribution to the climate change agenda and to agree a new climate pledge for London’s HE sector.

Following the discussion, participants will be warmly welcomed at the Summer Reception, for drinks and networking with other colleagues and key stakeholders.

 
Roundtable Discussion and Drinks Reception with John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students, 30 June 2022, 14:00-17:30, Central London (venue TBC)

London Higher is pleased to present this opportunity for heads of member institutions or their senior representatives to hear directly from the new Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students (OfS), and his plans for the access and participation agenda in the upcoming year.  Given the innovative and effective work that takes place in London in this space, this will be an important discussion, allowing the chance to share views and experience from the distinct and unique London perspective. This high-level roundtable meeting from 14:00-16:00, to be chaired by the Chair of AccessHE and Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University London, Professor Nic Beech, will be followed by a drinks reception.
 
Global majority mentoring scheme celebration event, 04 July 2022, 16:00-18:00, London Metropolitan University

You are warmly invited to join this celebration, which follows the successful pilot of the London Higher pan-London positive action mentoring programme, run with London Metropolitan University, which has paired 56 mentees with mentors from across eight participating London Higher member institutions.  The event will give the opportunity to hear from those who have participated in the scheme, sharing lessons learned, as we look towards expanding the programme in the next academic year, and will include an address from Deputy Mayor of London Debbie Weekes-Barnard, and a drinks reception.

The London Higher AGM, Wednesday 06 July 2022, 09:15-10:00, via Microsoft Teams *Invite only*
This formal virtual meeting will give members the opportunity to review progress and achievement over this academic year and receive updates on London Higher’s proposed future plans and strategic priorities for 2022-2023.  The AGM is restricted to a maximum of two representatives from London Higher member institutions, which will normally be a head of institution as the voting member and/or one additional senior staff colleague, or two senior staff members one of whom would be the nominated voting proxy. We recommend that all London Higher members ensure they are represented at this meeting.  If you are nominating a proxy, please can you ensure that you send a confirmation email to this effect, as voting rights must be passed from the head of institution to their representative in writing.
 
To register to attend any of these events, please RSVP to Sarah Hurst at sarah.hurst@londonhigher.ac.uk, indicating any dietary or access requirements please.  Should you be unable to attend but wish to nominate a senior representative to attend in your place, please do forward their name and contact details to Sarah so that she can contact them directly with further information in due course.  Calendar invites with further information will be sent to all those who register to attend.  Please do direct any queries to Sarah in the first instance.

• 10 June – Mental Health & Wellbeing
• 14 June – Teaching and Learning
• 15 June – Research Excellence
• 28 June – Civic
• 30 June - EDI
• 06 July – Sustainability
• 07 July – Policy
• 14 July – Centres