Jonathan Grant

Jan 12, 2025 | wonkhe.com | Jonathan Grant |Mark Leach

Today 88 per cent of UK universities pay a living wage, marking a significant increase from 2022 when I first published an article on Wonkhe that suggested that several universities were engaged in “civic washing” – claiming civic credentials without the concrete action to back up their claims. My argument then was that a significant proportion of universities had made public commitments to be “civic” but were not paying the living wage.

Nov 24, 2024 | wonkhe.com | Jonathan Grant

Every few months, I get asked for advice on setting up an “academic think tank”. I use that term generically but the core idea that a university has is to establish a boundary spanning entity that helps to translate academic research into policy impacts. Whilst in the UK this is often driven by the impact agenda, the requests for a chat are pretty global (albeit with a bias to the anglosphere).

Jun 23, 2024 | wonkhe.com | Jonathan Grant |David Kernohan |Mark Leach |Kathryn Chadwick Graham

In the UK it is estimated that around 80 universities run innovation incubators or accelerators. Although often conflated, incubators and accelerators are different. An incubator is effectively a real estate offering, where spin-out and start-up companies can rent office or lab space within onsite business support. An accelerator is typically a fixed term cohort-based programme for companies that provides education, mentorship, and access to networks, including investors.

Feb 22, 2024 | wonkhe.com | Mark Leach |Jim Dickinson |Jonathan Grant |Anna Bull

This week on the podcast the government is planning to introduce a “quality seal” for universities evidencing standards in dealing with antisemitism. But does its free speech legislation put that in jeopardy? Plus students are off to court over their Covid consumer claim, and a “welcome week” election could present headaches.

Aug 15, 2023 | wonkhe.com | David Duncan |Mark Leach |Jonathan Grant |Jim Dickinson

Twenty-four years ago, when I was teaching a South African history course at St Andrews, the then Principal invited former President FW de Klerk to speak on campus. De Klerk had been an uncompromising education minister when I lived in Johannesburg, but by 2000 he was fêted as the man who forged an alliance with Nelson Mandela, led this country to multi-party democracy and won the Nobel Peace Prize.