Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
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joshpatel.bsky.social
Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
@joshpatel.bsky.social
77 followers 98 following 22 posts
Researcher, Edge Foundation
https://joshsdpatel.wixsite.com/joshpatel

Fortcoming monograph with SRHE/Routledge 'Universities and the Purpose of Higher Education: Expansion and Development in Post-War Britain'

Swimmer & coach🏊🏽‍♂️🦦
Posts Replies Media Videos
joshpatel.bsky.social
New at @hepi-news.bsky.social blog: As England apparently turns to a tertiary model, what actually drives collaboration between HE and FE? In research with @edgeuk.bsky.social, I argue that under resource scarcity, collaboration and competition are interwoven.

www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/29/t...
Tertiary Collaborations in Practice: what partnerships between colleges and universities actually do and where to go next - HEPI
UK universities are under mounting financial pressure. Join HEPI and King’s College London Policy Institute on 11 November 2025 at 1pm for a webinar on how universities balance relatively stable but u...
www.hepi.ac.uk
October 29, 2025 at 10:51 AM
joshpatel.bsky.social
@edgeuk.bsky.social's What's in a Word? is BACK: scrutinising purposes and politics our choices of language serve.

Highly presciently given their prominence in Starmers' address this week, Jennifer Coupland considers: 'Apprenticeships', the state, and massification: www.edge.co.uk/research/wha...
October 3, 2025 at 10:08 AM
joshpatel.bsky.social
New from me:

Tertiary pathways in practice: Institutions’ views of partnerships between HE and FE in Scotland and England

Collaboration in competitive systems driven by resource scarcity rather than alignment to regional/national agendas. Full report:

www.edge.co.uk/research/pro...
Tertiary pathways in practice
www.edge.co.uk
September 30, 2025 at 1:18 PM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Launched a personal website recently: so while I have space/ideas, thoughts on Greenwich-Kent merger news from yesterday:
1. how much is this a rerun of older federal universities?
2. what's happened to the poly/uni divide here?
3. nobody mentioned Crosland

joshsdpatel.wixsite.com/joshpatel/po...
The Greenwich-Kent merger: some (historical) thoughts
I recently launched this site and, now that I have the space and the blog to jot down longer thoughts, I thought I might as well make some unsolicited comments on the big news in universityland this w...
joshsdpatel.wixsite.com
September 11, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
jvetjournal.bsky.social
JVET ECR + Edge ERN Joint Session: Bridging research and policy: tips for early careers

Registration: lnkd.in/dRVP4JMa
Date & Time: 11:00 am (UK time), 25 September 2025
Duration: 90 mins

Geng Wang, Josh Patel, The EDGE Foundation, Paulina Bravo Contreras

hashtag#JVET hashtag#JVETECR
September 8, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
adzebill.bsky.social
Wikipedia editors trying to fend off the onslaught of AI crap have crowdsourced some telltale signs of LLM-generated writing; it might be handy for editors and proofreaders generally. Thanks to @ellenrykers.com for pointing me to it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...
Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
August 31, 2025 at 11:58 PM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Very exciting news!! My first book, 'Universities and the Purpose of Higher Education Expansion and Development in Post-War Britain' has appeared on the Routledge website! 📖

Currently anticipating a January 2026 launch!

www.routledge.com/Universities...
This thought-provoking book addresses the persistent anxieties surrounding the purpose and direction of higher education, offering a nuanced historical perspective on its transformation. Read more on the link included.
September 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
eve.gd
The University of Warwick has paid a lot of money, I'm guessing, for their internet banner ads on the Guardian and elsewhere.

But they can't spell "curiosity". This isn't a US-UK variant. They just, genuinely, have a massive spelling error in their banner ads.
A banner advert for the University of Warwick, which says "Beyond ignores curiousity". This is a spelling error.
August 8, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
timeshighered.bsky.social
Opinion: “A career is meant to be something you grow into – layered with experience, trust and time – but in academia these days, you’re uprooted before anything can truly take hold.”

A mid-career academic scientist writes

#highered #AcademicSky
I’m tired of the academic road to nowhere – but it’s too late to exit
For one mid-career academic scientist, precarity is becoming unbearable. But they are too experienced for entry-level industry jobs and not experienced enough for senior ones. They’ve stayed too long,...
www.timeshighereducation.com
May 19, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
samfr.bsky.social
On universities the white paper only reduces the graduate visa from two years to 18 months (which is a win for the DfE).

The bigger thing universities will be worrying about is this little timebomb.
May 12, 2025 at 9:19 AM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Delighted to be speaking on my research with @edgeuk.bsky.social on 'Four Nations’ approaches to tertiary collaboration and tertiary journeys' at @qaa.ac.uk Scotland's event: 'Understanding and Supporting Student Transitions in Scotland', in Dundee, 29 May:

www.qaa.ac.uk/scotland/new...
May 12, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
hetanshah.bsky.social
‘Baroness Smith, the universities minister, said many institutions were failing to rein in spending despite demanding financial support from the government.’

Which institutions are these? We’ve seen absolute carnage in redundancies across the sector, so I’m curious which she is thinking of
May 10, 2025 at 9:18 PM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Just finished'Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right' new from @quinnslobodian.com and it’s very good. Finally bringing some clarity to the assault of contradictions of the rise of global fascism. Some takeaways from me:
May 3, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
edgeuk.bsky.social
🤝 Employer-led education—what does real employer involvement look like? This month in the second part of our new series, What’s in a Word? we investigate what role employers can really play. @joshpatel.bsky.social www.edge.co.uk/research/wha...
‘Employer-led’: VIPs or B-listers?
www.edge.co.uk
April 24, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
edgeuk.bsky.social
📢 Edge launch a new monthly series today - "What’s in a Word?" We explore the language of education—how words shape policy, practice, and perception. It all gets underway with an introduction and our first entry… www.edge.co.uk/research/wha...
What's in a Word?
www.edge.co.uk
March 27, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
adrianaguatame.bsky.social
A friend included this anti-acknowledgement section on her PhD thesis. She also added the proposition: “Systematic bullying and undermining of girls and women in STEM starts early on and is the reason why they do not stay in science and related fields.”
Absurd we still need to go through this
🧪👩‍🔬
There have been people less than helpful in my journey here. I wanted to acknowledge those too, bc I know I am not unique in this experience. No thank you to the physics study assoc that made me sing songs about how women couldn't study physics without sleeping with the professor, the day I stepped into university life. No thank you to the 5th year physics student that decided to assign me a stripper name within the first minute of meeting me in the physics coffee corner in my first year. No thank you to the technician that was responsible for onboarding me on the use of the cluster in my third year who raised his eyebrows and asked me if that meant I was some sort of computer girl. No thank you to the senior researcher that sent me utterly inappropriate texts after a conference, then proceeded to apologise months later by telling me they had not been meant for me anyway so no hard feelings remain hopefully And no thank you to him for attending every conference I've been to since. No thank you to the people who told me that it was surprising that I was doing a PhD since I was a girl. No thank you to the man who mistook me for a coffee lady at a conference, and after having to correct him two times that I did not work there, responded with you should consider it. No thank you to the researcher that asked me what I was wearing underneath my outfit during a conference. No thank you to the physicist who declared to a room full of other physicists that biologists don't know how to design an experiment. No thank you to the people who have called me scary instead of strong and intimidating instead of intelligent. And finally, no thank you to the exec board of the TU Delft, whose knee-jerk reaction to being held up a mirror about the social safety at the university, was to sue the party holding up the mirror instead of looking at the problems they highlighted. ... You have made me feel like I do not belong in science & I cannot forgive you for that.
March 6, 2025 at 4:40 PM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Hello education/history Bluesky: does anyone know of any recent material on the Manpower Services Commission (1974-1988) in the UK? Aware of material from the 90s by Patrick Ainley and Brendan Evans: but aware there might be more recent material my survey of literature didn't capture. Thanks!!
March 6, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
mike-rat.bsky.social
When people talk of challenger institutions of HE, they rarely talk of the for-profit business management providers in converted office blocks.
Martin Williams is right that DfE & OfS should check whether this was intended consequence of market de-regulation.
www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/02/25/f...
Freckles - or something else? - HEPI
The government must critically assess whether the post-2012 higher education market serves the public interest or prioritizes private profit.
www.hepi.ac.uk
February 25, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
edgeuk.bsky.social
Our 2025 Skills Shortages bulletin summary is out now. Skills Shortages across the UK are growing. Without urgent investment in skills and training, national priorities like net zero and economic growth are at risk. 🧵 bit.ly/3EC4M3G
Skills Shortages bulletin – Summary
bit.ly
February 18, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
edgeuk.bsky.social
Edge Director of Research Andrea Laczik presents a comprehensive overview of the future of Degree Apprenticeships in FE News. feweek.co.uk/cost-and-com...
Cost and complexity turn providers off degree apprenticeships
Degree apprenticeships are mired by a myriad of regulatory, financial and engagement challenges
feweek.co.uk
January 31, 2025 at 11:54 AM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Degree Apprenticeship piece number two for @hepi-news.bsky.social - emphasising our recommendations to government on Degree Apprenticeship policy

www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/01/30/d...
Degree Apprenticeships in England: What Can We Learn from the Experiences of Apprentices, Employers, and Education and Training Providers? - HEPI
The Edge Foundation's new report explores the rapid growth of Degree Apprenticeships, their challenges, and policy recommendations to enhance access, employer engagement, and regulatory efficiency.
www.hepi.ac.uk
January 30, 2025 at 9:25 AM
joshpatel.bsky.social
Our new report on Degree Apprenticeships is finally out! We'll be talking about the findings and recommendations over the next few days: first, an overview on WonkHE wonkhe.com/blogs/degree...
Degree apprenticeship delivery needs strengthening to realise their potential
Kat Emms and Josh Patel introduce new research exploring the views of employers, education and training providers and apprentices on the future for degree apprenticeships Kat Emms and Josh Patel introduce new research exploring the views of employers, education and training providers and apprentices
wonkhe.com
January 28, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
edgeuk.bsky.social
Edge publish a new research report today, "Degree Apprenticeships in England: What can we learn from the experiences of apprentices, employers and education and training providers?" Read the report here: www.edge.co.uk/research/pro...
Degree Apprenticeships in England: What can we learn from the experiences of apprentices, employers and education and training providers?
www.edge.co.uk
January 28, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Dr. Josh Patel (he/him)
edgeuk.bsky.social
Edge published their latest report today. "Student Voices: What Are Students Saying About Their Experiences of T Levels?" The report was written with Professor Kevin Orr. Our Education and Policy Senior Researcher, @dana_dabbous takes a look... www.edge.co.uk/news-and-eve...
T levels - An Opportunity to Succeed?
www.edge.co.uk
December 3, 2024 at 4:00 PM
joshpatel.bsky.social
I'm still looking for participants for a research study into student experiences co-designed and co-delivered FE-HE pathways - please share/drop me a message if you are interested in the findings or can help with contacts!
More about the research:
www.edge.co.uk/research/cur...
An informational flyer from the Edge Foundation seeking student participants for research on studying at both further education colleges and universities, focusing on experiences, challenges, and ambitions. We are interviewing students from across the UK to ask them to share their experiences, and want to understand these to improve how colleges and universities work together. Interviews include a 15 minute activity and 30 minute discussion. Includes contact details (jpatel@edge.co.uk) and ethical guidelines.
November 26, 2024 at 10:43 AM