The Wonkhe podcast

The Higher Education Show

Wonkhe’s weekly podcast – everything going on in and around UK higher education, with Team Wonkhe and guests.

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19 February 2026Student group claim, PRES, high streetsThis week on the podcast UCL has settled with the Student Group Claim over pandemic-era teaching disruptions
12 February 2026MI5, Labour, free speechThis week on the podcast MI5 has warned universities that UK higher education has become a “prime target for foreign states and hostile actors”
5 February 2026Student loans, research funding, WalesThis week on the podcast student finance has exploded into the headlines – but is the English student loan system really doomed?
29 January 2026Demand, Disabled students, medicineThis week on the podcast we examine what a rise in UK university applicants really tells us about the future demand for higher education.
22 January 2026International, UCAS data, student financeThis week on the podcast the government has finally unveiled its new International Education Strategy – with no headline target for international student numbers
15 January 2026Free speech, Scottish budget, Mickey MouseThis week on the podcast new polling suggests over a third of students think Reform UK should be banned from speaking on campus
8 January 2026Erasmus+, student loans, Rhineland study tourThis week on the podcast from Nijmegen on the SUs study tour the team discuss the return of the UK to Erasmus+.
11 December 2025REF 2029, franchising crackdown, year in reviewThis week on the podcast we examine what the rebooted 2029 Research Excellence Framework will mean for universities’ research strategies, research culture, and future funding
4 December 2025AI, uni finances, civicThis week on the podcast artificial intelligence remains front and centre, with a look at the growing concerns around AI-generated teaching content and the student backlash it’s prompted
27 November 2025Budget, R&D, Scotland’s tertiary billThis week on the podcast we examine how Budget 2025 reshapes the university funding model
20 November 2025Reform UK, local skills, students at workThis week on the podcast, we examine what the rise of Reform UK – and new insight into its prospective voters – might mean for universities, international education, and the wider public legitimacy of…
12 November 2025Access, governance, festival vibesThis week on the podcast, live from our Festival in London, we discuss access and social mobility as the Office for Students reshuffles its leadership
6 November 2025Banned algorithms, Schools curriculum, Wales student financeThis week on the podcast we examine the Office for Students’ (OfS) renewed scrutiny of degree classification algorithms and what it means for confidence in standards
30 October 2025Public attitudes, housing, employabilityThis week on the podcast we discuss fresh polling on public attitudes to UK universities
21 October 2025Skills white paper specialThis week on the podcast we get across the Westminster government’s post-16 white paper
16 October 2025Wales, Franchising, Graduate JobsThis week on the podcast we look at Wales’ emerging higher education settlement, as Universities Wales publishes its manifesto for the May 2026 Senedd elections amid polling that points to a potential…
10 October 2025Student protest, TNE, Tory conferenceThis week on the podcast as pro-Palestinian student protests mark the anniversary of October 7, an intervention from Keir Starmer sparks a national debate on campus safety, antisemitism, and free spee…
3 October 2025Labour Conference 2025This week on the podcast we unpack what Starmer’s new higher education participation target really means – and whether universities have the capacity and funding to meet the moment
26 September 2025Sexual misconduct, international levy, closuresThis week on the podcast we examine the results of the Office for Students’ first sector-wide survey on sexual misconduct.
19 September 2025Quality reforms, duty of candour, skillsThis week on the podcast we examine OfS’ proposed overhaul of England’s quality system, as radical reforms seek to integrate the Teaching Excellence Framework with minimum standards
12 September 2025Mergers, reshuffleThis week on the podcast we examine the bombshell merger announcement between the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent
5 September 2025Year ahead, international, governanceThis week on the podcast we examine the challenges facing UK higher education as another tough academic year begins
18 July 2025AI and jobs, provider closure, UCAS figuresThis week on our final podcast before the summer break, we unpack the mounting panic about graduate jobs
11 July 2025Student experience, LLE, civicThis week on the podcast we examine proposals for transforming the student experience as The Post-18 Project calls for a Student Rights Bill and a complete rethink of higher education’s structure.

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