AHEP Development Monthly #53 | Leading Through Change: Rethinking Universities for a New Era
As 2025 drew to a close, higher education providers across the UK were facing both significant challenges and important opportunities. Demographic shifts, financial pressures, and evolving policy expectations are reshaping the sector in real time. Against this backdrop, one message is becoming increasingly clear: collaboration is no longer optional. It is essential.
This theme was central to my 2025 AHEP Annual Lecture, which explored how providers can move from policy prompts to practical, effective collaboration. Although much of the national conversation still frames higher education through the lens of competition, there is a compelling case for a different approach—one rooted in shared purpose, simplicity, and sector‑led innovation.
Rethinking Higher Education’s Future
The pressures facing the sector are undeniable. The number of 18‑year‑olds is projected to fall sharply in the 2030s, with the ONS forecasting a 17.5% drop. If participation rates remain around 50%, this could mean almost a third fewer first‑degree entrants by 2038. At the same time, persistent absence in primary and secondary schooling is rising, raising questions about whether future cohorts will even reach eligibility for higher‑level study at the levels we expect.
International recruitment patterns remain uncertain, and financial instability is affecting providers of every type and mission. Taken together, these trends signal that the current system—built on assumptions of continuous growth—cannot simply continue unchanged. The sector will need to rethink what higher education is for, who it serves, and how it connects with earlier and later stages of learning.
And this is where collaboration becomes not just helpful, but indispensable.
Why Collaboration Matters Now
Government policy has increasingly emphasised partnership—particularly in the Post‑16 Education and Skills White Paper and in shaping the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). Yet the mechanisms to support genuine collaboration are still underdeveloped. If the sector waits for perfect conditions, progress may never come.
Instead, providers have an opportunity to drive change from within, building models of collaboration that respond proactively to demographic, economic, and social realities.
Collaboration does not need to be complex. In fact, it works best when anchored in two principles:
1. Clarity
Partnerships need a shared purpose, which is clearly communicated. Each organisation must understand why it is collaborating, what the intended outcomes are, and where boundaries and responsibilities lie.
2. Simplicity
Systems should enable collaboration, not obstruct it. Higher education is full of brilliant thinkers, but that can sometimes lead to over‑analysis and over‑engineering. At a time of rapid change, the sector needs to prioritise practical, implementable solutions.
Quality assurance can support this. The UK Quality Code—co‑created and sector‑owned—provides a shared language and shared expectations for quality and standards. When used well, it offers a foundation for agile, enhancement‑oriented collaboration.
A Vision for Future Partnerships:
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