University Alliance (UA) is an association of
British universities which was formed in 2006 as the ''Alliance of Non-Aligned Universities'', adopting its current name in 2007.
Its membership is made up of
technical and professional universities with a mission to drive growth and innovation in Britain's
cities and regions through research, teaching and enterprise activity, with a particular focus on links with business and industry and
applied research with
real-world impact.
Overview
Alliance institutions educate almost a quarter of UK
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
students, including 25% of those on
STEM courses and 41% of all
part-time students. They deliver 39% of the UK's
sandwich degree
A sandwich degree, or sandwich course, is an academic degree or higher education course (also known as tertiary education) involving practical work experience in addition to academic study. The work experience is often referred as an industrial pla ...
s with a year's experience in industry and maintain links with over 16,000 businesses, including 11,000
SMEs. It is the only UK university association or grouping which is above benchmark on both
access
Access may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* ACCESS (Australia), an Australian youth network
* Access (credit card), a former credit card in the United Kingdom
* Access Co., a Japanese software company
* Access Healthcare, an Indian BPO se ...
and retention of students. A large proportion of courses (43%) offered by Alliance universities are
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by
professional bodies.
In 2015, University Alliance launched the ''Doctoral Training Alliance'', the UK's largest multi-partner
doctoral training programme building on its members' research strengths and industry-focused ethos. The initial programme in
applied biosciences for
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
was followed with further programmes, focused on
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of hea ...
and
social policy. In 2018, with a €6.5million award from the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
, this programme was expanded to include international students, with the launch of the extended Doctoral Training Alliance, ''DTA3/COFUND'.'' In 2017 it began a ''Teaching Excellence Alliance'' programme focused on
professional development, sharing best practice and innovation in industry-engaged teaching and developing students'
social capital.
Alliance universities employ over 20,000
research staff and account for more than a fifth of teams undertaking
world-leading (4*) research in
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
,
general engineering and
art and design, according to the most recent
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
. In student enterprise, 40% of the UK's successful graduate
start-ups – those surviving beyond three years – come from Alliance graduates and collectively graduate start-ups from Alliance universities employ more than 8,000 people and account for £172m in annual turnover.
University Alliance has an ongoing partnership with the
Australian Technology Network group of universities, following a
memorandum of understanding signed in 2013. In 2017 a delegation took place to strengthen links between the two groups. A pitchbook document promoting UK excellence in degree-level technical and professional education to international audiences was published by University Alliance in October 2017, developed in collaboration with the
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
, the
Department for International Trade
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for striking and extending trade agreements between the United Kingdom and foreign countries, as well as for encouraging foreign investment and ...
and the
UK government's GREAT Britain campaign.
Policy
In 2016 University Alliance published a series of reports on the leadership role of universities as 'anchor institutions' in their cities and
regions
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
, supporting
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and
wellbeing
Well-being, or wellbeing, also known as wellness, prudential value or quality of life, refers to what is intrinsically valuable relative ''to'' someone. So the well-being of a person is what is ultimately good ''for'' this person, what is in th ...
,
life chances
Life chances (''Lebenschancen'' in German) is a theory in sociology which refers to the opportunities each individual has to improve their quality of life. The concept was introduced by German sociologist Max Weber in the 1920s. It is a probabilis ...
,
skills
A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of w ...
,
widening participation in HE and
innovation. In February 2017, University Alliance put forward proposals on
lifelong learning, calling on the government to take steps to ensure people can benefit from educational opportunities at all stages of life. Following this, ministers announced funding for pilot projects to test new approaches to lifelong learning in the
March 2017 Budget.
Its policy work has also focused on the role of universities in supporting the UK's
industrial strategy and nurturing arts, culture and the
creative economy. University Alliance's proposals for accelerated degrees and for the creation of Research England within
UKRI
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Str ...
with
knowledge exchange explicitly recognised within its remit have been adopted by the government as part of the
Higher Education and Research Act. The organisation has also shaped the design and methodology of the next
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
, ''REF 2021'', following a government-commissioned review by
Lord Stern.
Following the
EU referendum
This is a list of referendums related to the European Union, or referendums related to the European Communities, which were predecessors of the European Union. Since 1972, a total of 48 referendums have been held by EU member states, candidate st ...
, in August 2016 University Alliance highlighted the need for an effective post-Brexit replacement for
EU Structural Funds as the
UK leaves the EU, with £100m of
ERDF and
ESF monies focused on boosting skills and raising productivity in less prosperous regions being channelled each year through universities. This was subsequently reflected in the recommendations of the
House of Commons Education Committee's report ''Exiting the UK: Challenges and Opportunities for UK Higher Education'' in April 2017 and in UK government proposals for a 'Shared Prosperity Fund'.
University Alliance has also undertaken policy work to understand and define
teaching excellence in the context of
professional and technical education: a collection of essays published by the organisation in 2017, ''Technical and Professional Excellence: Perspectives on Learning and Teaching'' included contributions from the
National Union of Students,
Confederation of British Industry,
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
Chief executive
Sir Ciarán Devane,
Office for Students
The Office for Students (OfS) is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Education, acting as the regulator and competition authority for the higher education sector in England.
In February 2021, James Wharton, Baron Wharton of Yarm ...
Chair
Sir Michael Barber and others.
In December 2017 the findings of ''The Hidden Story'', an
AHRC-funded study on university
knowledge exchange with the
creative industries were published, having been undertaken by Alliance universities. It mapped the ways in which
higher education institutions support the sector and build
cultural infrastructure contributing to understanding of this activity and how it can be measured.
University Alliance contributed to ''Vocation, Vocation, Vocation'', a report on
BTEC qualifications as a
route into HE, published by the
Social Market Foundation in association with
Pearson Pearson may refer to:
Organizations Education
*Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
*Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC
*Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation)
Companies
*Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...
in January 2018. In the foreword to the report, University Alliance Treasurer and Vice-Chancellor of
Nottingham Trent University Prof Edward Peck emphasised the contribution which vocational qualifications had made to
social mobility, meeting employers' skills needs and as a preparation for technical and professional degree courses.
Tackling barriers to the expansion of
degree apprenticeships has been a key area of focus for University Alliance, with the organisation hosting a speech by
Education Committee Chair and former
Skills Minister Robert Halfon MP in April 2018 addressing this.
In its June 2018 report ''Ladders of Opportunity'' the organisation highlighted the role of universities in delivering education from Level 4 and Level 5 (sub-degree qualifications) up to Level 8 (postgraduate) of the
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The report made a series of recommendations, including greater recognition of achievement at Level 5 within degrees, of experiential learning after completing a degree and greater flexibility in funding and in the delivery of the final year of a degree.
Events
University Alliance holds an annual summit in June hosted by a member institution. In 2017 the event was held at the
University of Salford
, caption = Coat of ArmsUniversity of Salford
, mottoeng = "Let us seek higher things"
, established = 1850 - Pendleton Mechanics Institute 1896 – Royal Technical Institute, Salford 1967 – gained ...
's
MediaCityUK campus with speakers including
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former
UK Ambassador to the EU Sir Stephen Wall, and in 2016 at
Coventry University
, mottoeng = By Art and Industry
, established =
, type = Public
, endowment = £28 million (2015)
, budget = £787.5 million
, chancellor = Margaret Casely-Hayford
, vice_chancellor = John Latham
, students = ()
, undergr ...
with
Education Select Committee
The Education Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Education and any asso ...
Chair
Neil Carmichael and
Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of
Bright Blue among those addressing the event. In 2018, at
Oxford Brookes University speakers included former
Home Office and
DEFRA Permanent Secretary Dame Helen Ghosh,
Director of Fair Access and Participation Chris Millward and
Alison Johns, Chief Executive of AdvanceHE.
In September 2016, University Alliance held a conference with the
Higher Education Academy focused on
research-informed teaching and how it could best be reflected in the newly created
Teaching Excellence Framework. The organisation held a discussion event in the Houses of Parliament on
lifelong learning in February 2017 with
Universities APPG Chair
Roberta Blackman-Woods MP and former Universities Minister
Lord Willetts.
University Alliance held its first
student enterprise competition in May 2017, a
''Dragon's Den''-style contest with students putting forward new business ideas to win investment from a pool of £5,000 hosted at the
University of Salford
, caption = Coat of ArmsUniversity of Salford
, mottoeng = "Let us seek higher things"
, established = 1850 - Pendleton Mechanics Institute 1896 – Royal Technical Institute, Salford 1967 – gained ...
. A follow up competition was held in June 2018.
Members
Leadership
The association is headed by the Chair (Professor
Debra Humphris), Deputy Chair (Professor Alistair Fitt) and the Treasurer (Professor Steven Spier) who are elected and serve in office for a period of three years.
Chair
Chief executive
References
External links
University Alliance Official Website
{{University associations and groupings in the United Kingdom
College and university associations and consortia in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in the City of Westminster
Organizations established in 2009
2009 establishments in the United Kingdom