Governance | Leadership | Research

Academic publishing has become a global industry that shapes careers, funding, rankings and institutional reputation. Yet despite its influence, the sector still relies largely on voluntary self-regulation, reputation and trust. As concerns around paper mills, manipulated peer review, questionable editorial practices and commercial pressures continue ...

Universities are often viewed as highly structured organisations with robust financial systems, detailed reporting and clear accountability. Budgets are scrutinised, audits are routine, and financial dashboards provide regular insights into performance. On the surface, this suggests strong control. Yet many of the most significant costs ...

Universities are often presented as autonomous institutions, free to define their strategies and priorities. Yet in practice, many key decisions are shaped by external forces such as rankings, funding models, regulation and market pressures. This raises a fundamental question about where real decision-making sits in ...

Peer review is central to the credibility of academic research, yet it relies heavily on the time and expertise of university staff. While it is often viewed as an individual professional responsibility, it also represents a significant, largely unmeasured institutional commitment. As submission volumes rise ...

Last week’s newsletter asked whether we have too many universities. In most sectors, sustained financial pressure leads to consolidation through mergers or restructuring. Yet in higher education, this rarely happens. Universities continue to expand, but almost never contract. This edition of the newsletter explores why. ...

Over the past few decades, higher education systems in many countries have expanded significantly. In the United Kingdom, a pivotal moment came in 1992 when polytechnics were granted university status, rapidly increasing the number of institutions in the sector. The reform widened participation and created ...