
The Wonkhe Show
Every week the Wonkhe team and guests from across higher education dissect the week's big policy developments, and we also feature interviews, features and views from around the sector. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Nov 3, 2022 • 47min
Free speech, NUS, estranged students, NSS
This week on the podcast the free speech bill reaches committee stage in the Lords, and the NUS President has been terminated. What are the implications for culture on campus? Plus there’s a new report out on estranged students, and we discuss the final question set for the new National Student Survey.With Jess Lister, Senior Policy Manager at Public First, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, Mike Ratcliffe, Academic Registrar and sector historian and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 27, 2022 • 48min
Reshuffle, industrial action, applications decline
This week on the podcast Rishi Sunak has been reshuffling his team of ministers - what could the impacts be for higher education?Plus we have the results of UCU's ballot on industrial action, applications appear to be in decline and students seem to have been forgotten about in the cost of living crisis - again.With Carole-Anne Upton, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Middlesex University, David Kernohan, Acting Editor at Wonkhe, Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, Mike Ratcliffe, Academic Registrar and sector historian, and presented by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 20, 2022 • 48min
Immigration, belonging, blended learning
This week on the podcast Suella Braverman is gone - but has the threat of a crackdown on international students gone with her? We’ve launched new research on belonging and we look at the implications for universities. Plus there’s a new review out on blended learning and hidden history looks at the origins of UCL.With Heidi Fraser-Krauss, CEO at Jisc, Ian Dunn, Provost at Coventry University, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 13, 2022 • 50min
Harassment and sexual misconduct, R&D, debating societies
This week on the podcast OfS is to survey the scale and nature of sexual misconduct affecting students - we discuss why and what next.Plus the UK has accidentally hit the 2.4 per cent of GDP target for research and development spending, and we consider the culture of debate on campus through two new reports.With Shân Wareing, Deputy Vice Chancellor at University of Northampton, Nick Hillman, Director at the Higher Education Policy Institute, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, Mike Ratclkiffe, Academic Registrar and sector historian, and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 7, 2022 • 46min
Conservative conference, outcomes and experience data, student suicide
This week on the podcast the team has been at Conservative party conference - is a crackdown coming on international students?Meanwhile OfS has published data on student experience and outcomes, and there’s interesting new guidance out on students undertaking a placement.With Andy Youell, Executive Director Regulation at UCEM, Selena Bolingbroke, Director at Sighthound Consultancy, David Kernohan, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 29, 2022 • 39min
Labour, access and participation, free speech, social class
This week on the show we’ve been to Labour Party Conference. Was anything of interest for higher education announced?Plus the Office for Students has been revising its approach to access and participation, there’s new research out on perceptions of free speech among both students and the wider public, and UCU has a report out on staff and social class.With Claire Taylor, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, Andrew Bush, Director of Higher Education Internal Audit and Advisory lead at KPMG, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, editor in chief at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 22, 2022 • 49min
Admissions, Energy Costs, Academic Freedom
This week on the podcast we're at the end of the 2022 applications season - has there really been a crunch on university places? We also consider if the sector and its students have the energy for the year ahead, and there's a new pamphlet out on academic freedom calling for better education on the concept.With Smita Jamdar, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau, Gavan Conlon, Partner at London Economics, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 15, 2022 • 18min
Hidden History special
This week in a special edition of the podcast, academic registrar and sector historian Mike Ratcliffe reflects on the history of the relationship between the royal family and higher education, as well as the fight between Oxford and Cambridge over who is the oldest university and the origins of a student-centred approach to governance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 8, 2022 • 51min
Truss, Cost of Living, Digital
This week on the podcast Liz Truss is the new Prime Minister - what does that and her ministerial appointments mean for higher education? Plus we discuss the cost of living, a new report from Jisc on the digital student experience, and there's an exciting new feature to play along with.With Gary Hughes, Chief Executive at Durham Students’ Union, Ailsa Crum, Director of Membership, Quality Enhancement and Standards at the Quality Assurance Agency, David Kernohan, Wonkhe’s Acting Editor and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 5, 2022 • 39min
Review of Summer 2022
Before the show returns properly for the Autumn season, this week the team meets to discuss what you might have missed (or wish you'd missed|) over the summer, including everything from clearing and student numbers to the cost of living crisis, the Conservative leadership contest, the culture wars and the B3 bear. Plus Mike Ratcliffe has a tale of town gown conflict.With David Kernohan, Acting Editor at Wonkhe, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.