Responding to the King’s Speech 2024, Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive of London Higher said:
“While the King’s Speech made no explicit mention of universities, it contained several proposals which could reshape how England’s higher education and research sector will serve the nation under the new Labour Government. From the Skills England Bill to the promise of a new industrial strategy, universities could well be subject to significant reforms in the course of this parliament which will bring them into closer alignment with filling local skills needs and catalysing growth across the regions.
The English Devolution Bill, intended to give more powers to metro mayors, could be particularly pertinent to unlocking appreciation for the considerable civic work that universities do within local communities. This will provide a welcome opportunity for higher education institutions to establish themselves as firm anchors in their localities, with the strong civic contributions of London’s higher education sector already shown through the London Higher Civic Map.
Under the new functional, mission-driven approach to governance, universities will nevertheless be viewed as a means to an end, and the lack of legislation to reform the way universities in England are funded and regulated is a stark reminder that the sector’s own financial concerns are not going to be addressed substantially in parliament anytime soon. The pledge to create a formal link between migration data and skills policy also suggests changes could be afoot for the future recruitment of international talent.”
Mark Corbett, Head of Policy and Networks at London Higher, said:
“Universities will be instrumental in delivering a successful industrial strategy. The new Government must ensure that the higher education and science briefs are working hand in glove to deliver policy consistency and alignment across skills, research and enterprise.
We are pleased that the incoming government recognises the potential of AI to support growth and the wider benefits it could offer. London is a hub for the UK’s top universities for artificial intelligence and is well positioned as a global leader on AI research, commercialisation and investment, to bring benefits for the whole UK.
The responsible application of AI is critical and here, too, London is well placed to deliver, as home of the AI Safety Institute and input of King’s College London and UCL into the work of Responsible AI UK. Should this lead to legislation, we must get the balance right so researchers have the freedom and space to innovate and, at the same time, acknowledge that alignment with EU direction will provide a wider application of UK outputs.”
