PODCAST: Free speech, applications, the media

This week on the podcast we discuss Gavin Williamson’s proposals on campus free speech and ask “why now” and whether they’ll work.

Editor’s note: This podcast predates the Supreme Court’s 2025 ruling in For Women Scotland and the subsequent removal of students’ unions from the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act’s commencement.

We also review the latest applications data and look at an interesting new report on universities and the media.

With Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, Vice President Higher Education at NUS, Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation, Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor and presented by Mark Leach, CEO at Wonkhe.

Items this week

• Government free speech proposals represent a breakdown of trust and confidence.
• This is not the first government crack down on free speech in universities.
• Medical related subjects up, mature students up, EU applications low – David Kernohan introduces the UCAS January deadline data for 2021.
• Though application numbers are strong at the January deadline, there’s a lot of the cycle left to navigate. Sandel Kristel thinks through what the rest of this year might look like for applicants.

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