Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Hefce cold sports data

Data-driven efficiency: what can higher education learn from consumer businesses?

Open data offers a golden opportunity for institutions to understand their customers and market. Harvey Lewis of Deloitte explains how businesses are using this data to make better decisions.
Heather Lawrence, University of Strathclyde

How do you demonstrate the success of efficiency projects?

The University of Strathclyde is gathering information about how higher education practitioners demonstrate the success of their business improvement projects. The university’s business improvement manager Heather Lawrence explains how you can help.
Alan Turing Building, University of Manchester

Carbon reduction and energy efficiency in the HE estate

Growing awareness of the need for energy efficiency is prompting households to look for ways to reduce consumption and universities are no different. Sue Holmes describes what higher education institutions are doing to work towards carbon reduction and energy efficiency.
Megan Dunn NUS vice president

Value me not my money: why students are key to good decision making

The notion of the student as a consumer is one that is gaining popularity. But NUS vice president (higher education) Megan Dunn says universities need to start seeing students as full members of their community who should play an active role in it, rather than customers, easily impressed by shiny new buildings.

In pictures: the fourth Efficiency in Higher Education Conference

The fourth Efficiency in Higher Education Conference on 25 March brought together some of the individuals working to make higher education more efficient and effective to share their experiences and knowledge with others. Here are some images from the day.
Efficiency effectiveness and value for money report image

‘Efficiency, effectiveness and value for money’ report – your reaction

The reaction on social media to University UK’s report into efficiency in Higher Education, compiled following a review led by Professor Sir Ian Diamond.
Jisc logo

Data platform launched to encourage more efficient medical research

An affordable cloud-based infrastructure has been launched by Jisc and the University of Leicester to manage a growing volume of data that is threatening to overwhelm researchers. The Biomedical Research Infrastructure Software Service (BRISSKit) platform seeks to make data sharing and collaboration easier, saving time and reducing infrastructure costs.
Professor Ian Diamond

Diamond warns against complacency over efficiency agenda

Much has been achieved in the drive to make universities more efficient and effective, says Sir Ian Diamond in an article for ModernGov. However, he adds that there is no room for complacency and more needs to be done to maintain UK Higher Education's standing (registration needed).

Procurement ‘health checks’ inspire high performance universities

Universities seeking ever higher standards in their procurement are benefiting from a comprehensive measuring tool. Susan Wright, head of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, explains how the Procurement Maturity Assessment programme has inspired real changes in English HEIs.

Only connect: UCL’s vision for greater synergy between research and education

Institutions across the world are increasingly looking at fresh possibilities of making connections between their research and students educations. Dilly Fung explains three new, interrelated initiatives at UCL that are designed to make research and education inspire and strengthen each other.