The UK has a thriving and multi-billion-pound higher education sector. It is home to internationally renowned institutions and world-leading centres of research and expertise.
But the sector is under threat and there is a possibility that in the next decade, many institutions will struggle to survive. The coronavirus pandemic is set to put the entire university operating model to the test. This is set against a backdrop of other challenges that already faced the sector when it came to maintaining and gaining students.
Increasing competition coupled with fewer students means that even the most traditional universities have had to embrace commercialism. Competition is fierce.
Political and global turmoil, of which there’s been plenty over the last decade, all play out in universities. Public funding is down and tuition fees make up the bulk of university income. Meanwhile, Generation Z has a different set of expectations to get to grips with, and a desire to see more value for money.
In this challenging marketplace, what do UK universities need to do to maintain and gain student numbers?
In this report, we look at the state of the higher education market in market today, what it means to educate Generation Z, and - crucially - how next-generation digital technology has the answer to many of the sector’s challenges.