Sarah Cowan
@sarahcowan1.bsky.social
Head of Policy (HE & Research) at The British Academy, views of course my own.
Reposted by Sarah Cowan
The Curriculum and Assessment review final report was published today by the government.
Professor Charles Forsdick, Lead Fellow for Languages at The British Academy, reflects on the review’s implications for UK language education: https://bit.ly/4okpkjf
Professor Charles Forsdick, Lead Fellow for Languages at The British Academy, reflects on the review’s implications for UK language education: https://bit.ly/4okpkjf
November 5, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The Curriculum and Assessment review final report was published today by the government.
Professor Charles Forsdick, Lead Fellow for Languages at The British Academy, reflects on the review’s implications for UK language education: https://bit.ly/4okpkjf
Professor Charles Forsdick, Lead Fellow for Languages at The British Academy, reflects on the review’s implications for UK language education: https://bit.ly/4okpkjf
Trott concludes with a waring about 'death trap degrees'. (Are they the same as Mickey Mouse degrees, one might ask?) Phillipson handles this nicely: which children does Trott not want to go to universities? Whose children? Trott is in the trap. 6/x
October 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Sarah Cowan
Read our response to the Government's Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published today: https://bit.ly/48z0QOe
The UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences, The British Academy responds to the Government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
October 20, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Read our response to the Government's Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published today: https://bit.ly/48z0QOe
Reposted by Sarah Cowan
As we await the post-16 White Paper, the Academy is calling for:
✅ An urgent review of HE funding
✅ Regulators to monitor provision with an ‘at-risk’ regional register + subject premium
✅ Government to help universities collaborate effectively with clearer guidance about competition law
✅ An urgent review of HE funding
✅ Regulators to monitor provision with an ‘at-risk’ regional register + subject premium
✅ Government to help universities collaborate effectively with clearer guidance about competition law
September 10, 2025 at 8:24 AM
As we await the post-16 White Paper, the Academy is calling for:
✅ An urgent review of HE funding
✅ Regulators to monitor provision with an ‘at-risk’ regional register + subject premium
✅ Government to help universities collaborate effectively with clearer guidance about competition law
✅ An urgent review of HE funding
✅ Regulators to monitor provision with an ‘at-risk’ regional register + subject premium
✅ Government to help universities collaborate effectively with clearer guidance about competition law
Reposted by Sarah Cowan
📢 Today the Academy launches a major new report urging action to tackle a growing crisis in our universities. Cuts to courses mean more regions than ever are ‘cold spots’ for access to many SHAPE subjects - with even more at risk. 🧵
📍Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
📍Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education
This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
September 10, 2025 at 8:24 AM
📢 Today the Academy launches a major new report urging action to tackle a growing crisis in our universities. Cuts to courses mean more regions than ever are ‘cold spots’ for access to many SHAPE subjects - with even more at risk. 🧵
📍Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
📍Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
SHAPE graduates form 77% of our teaching workforce, 64% of our public services, and 41% of health and social care.
Graduate salaries tell us about the shape and health of economy - NOT the 'worthiness' of a degree.
Graduate salaries tell us about the shape and health of economy - NOT the 'worthiness' of a degree.
NEW on Wonkhe: The British Academy has released analysis of what social sciences, humanities, and arts graduates do after graduation. Pablo Roblero and Alfie Denness introduce the findings buff.ly/pB45bCX
June 10, 2025 at 8:10 AM
SHAPE graduates form 77% of our teaching workforce, 64% of our public services, and 41% of health and social care.
Graduate salaries tell us about the shape and health of economy - NOT the 'worthiness' of a degree.
Graduate salaries tell us about the shape and health of economy - NOT the 'worthiness' of a degree.
Reposted by Sarah Cowan
Our report argues that a long-term economic strategy should involve investing in the institutional, human and physical capital that makes a place ‘investible’ for the private sector. See a summary of this programme's main insights and conclusions: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...
The British Academy’s Economic Strategy Programme
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
June 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Our report argues that a long-term economic strategy should involve investing in the institutional, human and physical capital that makes a place ‘investible’ for the private sector. See a summary of this programme's main insights and conclusions: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...
Reposted by Sarah Cowan
"In a geopolitically uncertain world and after more than a decade of low productivity growth, the UK needs to rethink its economic strategy." Today, we're publishing a collection of expert policy insights ahead of the multi-year Spending Review conclusion: buff.ly/DAlcNo5
buff.ly
June 3, 2025 at 7:55 AM
"In a geopolitically uncertain world and after more than a decade of low productivity growth, the UK needs to rethink its economic strategy." Today, we're publishing a collection of expert policy insights ahead of the multi-year Spending Review conclusion: buff.ly/DAlcNo5
There’s nothing quite like returning to your alma mater for work to make you feel a) old and b) jealous.
But as always a good grounding reminder of what we in HE policy are working for, especially at the moment.
But as always a good grounding reminder of what we in HE policy are working for, especially at the moment.
May 15, 2025 at 11:22 AM
There’s nothing quite like returning to your alma mater for work to make you feel a) old and b) jealous.
But as always a good grounding reminder of what we in HE policy are working for, especially at the moment.
But as always a good grounding reminder of what we in HE policy are working for, especially at the moment.
We’re 2 hours and 2 sessions in and already so much great discussion. If you’re not with us today keep an eye on @britishacademy.bsky.social for live updates. We’ve a great line up still to come!!
Our inaugural SHAPE Conference is underway, exploring how the humanities and social sciences can be supported and strengthened across policy, education and R&D. We will be sharing insights and ideas from our speakers here throughout the day.
April 2, 2025 at 10:04 AM
We’re 2 hours and 2 sessions in and already so much great discussion. If you’re not with us today keep an eye on @britishacademy.bsky.social for live updates. We’ve a great line up still to come!!
A very thoughtful piece on why dismantling the Ebacc might be the final blow for languages in schools.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/curricu...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/curricu...
Curriculum Review: The case for broadening - not abolishing - EBacc
Would removing EBacc increase access to arts and other SHAPE subjects? It’s not clear that it would.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
March 21, 2025 at 3:29 PM
A very thoughtful piece on why dismantling the Ebacc might be the final blow for languages in schools.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/curricu...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/curricu...
It's launch day for our new maps, tracking SHAPE provision in HE across the UK. Use them to find cold spots, see how individual institutions are changing their courses, and look at the picture by region of the UK. bit.ly/435cvl5
February 20, 2025 at 1:03 PM
It's launch day for our new maps, tracking SHAPE provision in HE across the UK. Use them to find cold spots, see how individual institutions are changing their courses, and look at the picture by region of the UK. bit.ly/435cvl5
Great piece by AHA Chairs in the Guardian today, using insights from our coldspots maps. Follows a similar piece from languages academics in THE last week. Both useful summaries of the threat we're facing across the UK HE system.
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/card...
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/card...
The deep cultural cost of British university job cuts | Letters
Letters: Arts and humanities are being hit hardest by cuts in higher education, write Prof Thea Pitman and Prof Emma Cayley, and Dr Ronan McLaverty-Head and another letter writer comment on cuts at Ca...
www.theguardian.com
February 6, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Great piece by AHA Chairs in the Guardian today, using insights from our coldspots maps. Follows a similar piece from languages academics in THE last week. Both useful summaries of the threat we're facing across the UK HE system.
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/card...
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/card...
Announcements of closures and redundancies have trickled out over the last few years. With the announcements this week it feels as though those trickles have amounted to a flood that mainstream press is starting to pay attention to. As pressure mounts, can we now hope for change? bit.ly/40DqEDd
Calls for ministers to act as university job losses accelerate - Research Professional News
Funding bodies and learned societies weigh in as over 1,000 redundancies announced within a fortnight
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
January 31, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Announcements of closures and redundancies have trickled out over the last few years. With the announcements this week it feels as though those trickles have amounted to a flood that mainstream press is starting to pay attention to. As pressure mounts, can we now hope for change? bit.ly/40DqEDd
"We’re working with the British Academy to assess how a roadmap for AI skills policies in England could be developed – looking at historical parallels such as the digital and industrial revolutions as well existing and emerging challenges. " Skills Minister Jacqui Smith feweek.co.uk/ai-skills-bu...
AI Skills: Building a workforce for the future
The government's plan to futureproof the workforce in the age of AI
feweek.co.uk
January 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
"We’re working with the British Academy to assess how a roadmap for AI skills policies in England could be developed – looking at historical parallels such as the digital and industrial revolutions as well existing and emerging challenges. " Skills Minister Jacqui Smith feweek.co.uk/ai-skills-bu...
And then another - Deputy of Higher Education Policy leading on all things HE, from student access and outcomes, to university finance and regulation, to pathways to undergraduate study. £50k salary, 34 days leave and an unbelievable pension! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/about/jobs/d...
January 8, 2025 at 9:59 AM
And then another - Deputy of Higher Education Policy leading on all things HE, from student access and outcomes, to university finance and regulation, to pathways to undergraduate study. £50k salary, 34 days leave and an unbelievable pension! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/about/jobs/d...
I’m recruiting 2 Deputy Head of Policy roles to join my team at @britishacademy.bsky.social. First up - Deputy of Research Policy, helping guide all things R&D, innovation, research funding and culture. £50k salary, 34 days leave & an unbelievable pension! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/about/jobs/d...
Deputy Head of Policy (Research)
The closing date for applications is 12 noon Monday 27 January 2025.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
January 8, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I’m recruiting 2 Deputy Head of Policy roles to join my team at @britishacademy.bsky.social. First up - Deputy of Research Policy, helping guide all things R&D, innovation, research funding and culture. £50k salary, 34 days leave & an unbelievable pension! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/about/jobs/d...
NEW on Wonkhe: New British Academy interactive maps reveal cold spots in social sciences, humanities and arts in UK higher education – especially affecting disadvantaged students. Ruairi Cullen explains https://buff.ly/49008I7
November 20, 2024 at 10:03 AM
Finally made the great migration to Bluesky to show off our latest release.... Mapping SHAPE provision is an interactive tool depicting where in the UK students can access SHAPE undergraduate courses in their local area & how this has changed over time. www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
November 20, 2024 at 9:47 AM
Finally made the great migration to Bluesky to show off our latest release.... Mapping SHAPE provision is an interactive tool depicting where in the UK students can access SHAPE undergraduate courses in their local area & how this has changed over time. www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...