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Read blogs from members across the University Alliance and from the UA policy team

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  1. Professional doctorates – and why these are my two favourite words in the HE dictionary

    Those of us who worked with former Higher Education Minister Robert Halfon will be all too familiar with his “two favourite words in the English language”, “Degree” and “Apprenticeships”. I would like to advocate for two more: “Professional” and “Doctorates,” for many of the same reasons that Robert Halfon was such a cheer leader for […]

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  2. Aligning my goals with University Alliance: how I made the most of my internship opportunity

    My internship at University Alliance was incredible. When application season arrived, like many English students, I felt apprehensive about future career prospects, unsure of which roles my degree would prepare me for, and only had a vague idea of what I wanted to do post-graduation. The only things I was certain of at the time […]

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  3. Apprentices of the Alliance

    Alliance universities are some of the foremost providers of degree apprenticeships, with apprentices studying everything from Nursing, to Quantity Surveying, to Automotive Engineering all the way to Digital Design. This National Apprenticeships Week we’re showcasing some inspiring degree apprentices from across our membership, highlighting how their courses have shaped their learning and future careers. Abigail, […]

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  4. The Future of Work Starts Here: Studio KT1’s Innovation Journey

    What started as a small university-funded initiative in 2019 has now delivered over 120 projects and collaborated with industry giants like BBC, Unilever, Matt Collishaw, Canary Wharf, Wates and Mozilla. Studio KT1 was meant to last three years, but it thrived during a global pandemic, launched an award-winning pop-up, and became a profitable, student-powered creative […]

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  5. Six reasons why Level 7 apprenticeship funding should be protected

    In December 2024, University Alliance worked with partners across a broad range of sectors to coordinate a letter to the chancellor, calling on her to protect apprenticeship levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships – the most advanced level of apprenticeship. This was a response to the government indicating that they plan to prevent employers from […]

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  6. A look back on 2024

    “As the end of another busy year approaches, the time is right to take stock and reflect on the last 12 months. A lot has changed: this time last December, we had a different government, different tuition and maintenance loan levels and a slightly different set of challenges. Whilst the challenges we face have evolved […]

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  7. The DfE has changed its accountability measures for schools. Here’s why it’s significant.

    On Thursday 24 October, the Department for Education (DfE) published an Interim Update to its 16 to 18 accountability measures, which indicated a subtle, yet significant shift in how the Department views and values young people. What has changed? The update concerns what are called ‘destination measures’. These measures record, for each individual school and […]

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  8. Help us help you: what the budget needs to do to enable universities to support their regions

    “University Alliance made its submission to the Treasury on Tuesday 10 September for the Budget which will take place on 30th October. The submission reflected what we and our members, as large professional and technical universities located in major conurbations across the UK, believe would make the biggest material impact for our students, our universities […]

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  9. Middlesex’s innovative platforming of ‘Pro-localism’ through The Newham Plays

    In our latest ‘Innovators’ blog, Dr James Kenworth provides insight into the way Middlesex University is preserving creativity in the higher education sector and in local communities through ‘Pro – localism’ and experience-building opportunities. “The Newham Plays create cultural participation opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds. The series has become a significant proponent of […]

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  10. How are the Alliance Awards shortlists and winners selected? 

    Nominate someone and find out more about the Alliance Awards 2025 here. Every year we get around 150 nominations for UA’s Alliance Awards, which are delivered in partnership with TechnologyOne – an average of 20 nominations for each of the seven award categories. The quality of the nominations is always very high, which makes selecting […]

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