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Introducing UUK
The UK’s universities are world leading. Our mission is to support them. We do this by campaigning for conditions that help increase their impact locally, nationally and globally.
The success of UK higher education is built on a spirit of collaboration. The free flow of ideas and knowledge depends on it. Which is why we’ve been fostering close relationships between UK universities for more than a century.
Universities UK Strategic Plan 2024–2030
A Common Cause: Thriving universities, serving society
Today, we’re the collective voice of 142 universities across the UK. Our universities have world-leading reputations for excellence in teaching and research, making a huge difference to people’s lives.
Together with our members, we aim to shape policy that allows universities to deliver the greatest impact possible for students, staff, the economy, and the communities they serve. By demonstrating these benefits, we’re helping UK universities build trust with policymakers and the public.
How our members contribute to society
Higher education improves lives
Most fundamentally, access to higher education improves lives. It provides people with an education and skills, employment opportunities and helps build a better world.
Universities attract global talent
Universities attract global talent to towns and cities across the UK. Given the international reputation of our universities, the UK remains an attractive destination for international students and staff.
Universities build international connections
International staff and students bring with them diverse ideas and perspectives and help forge lasting links between the UK and other countries. They also contribute to local communities and help create more inclusive societies.
Universities support local change
Closer to home, academic research and analysis provides local governments and communities with a robust evidence base to inform public policy.
Universities foster creativity
Universities support many creative and cultural activities. These generate exciting intellectual and artistic scenes that, in turn, attract other creative minds.
Universities are economic engines
Universities drive innovation and entrepreneurship. In partnership with government and business, academic research and technologies help an array of vital industries thrive.
Our activities
Our core activities include:
- shaping national and international policy
- building public understanding of the quality and impact of UK universities
- offering support and guidance to our members
- advocating for the UK higher education sector in the UK and overseas
Our vision
Our vision for the future of the UK higher education sector focuses on five key areas. With our support, UUK members turn this vision into reality for the benefit of society and the world at large:
- Opportunity. Giving everyone with the will and potential to succeed access to outstanding learning experiences.
- Impact. Maintaining our world-leading reputation for producing and applying knowledge and skills.
- Trust. Promoting public trust and political support for UK universities by demonstrating the positive impact on students, the economy, public services and society.
- Global. Maintaining the position of UK universities as global leaders in international education and research.
- Autonomy. Protecting the freedom to make autonomous decisions according to a university’s diverse mission and the needs of their students and communities.
Universities Wales and Universities Scotland
As the voice of universities across the UK, we must account for the diversity of policies and priorities in devolved nations.
Universities Wales and Universities Scotland work autonomously as part of Universities UK, representing the interests of universities in Wales and Scotland. They campaign, influence and develop policy on behalf of the higher education sectors in the devolved nations.
For more information on activities in Wales, visit the Universities Wales website
For more information on activities in Scotland, visit the Universities Scotland website
Our successes
Our achievements in the past year include:
- Securing a sustainable future for our universities. We launched a national conversation on the future of university funding, published facts and figures on research and innovation and an explainer on why it matters, and published our report on how universities generate growth and opportunity.
- High-quality education and good regulation. We influenced the Office for Students (OfS) to take a refined and less bureaucratic approach to Access and Participation Plans, worked with MPs and Lords to influence the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, and worked with the higher education sector to address risks associated with grade inflation.
- Supporting student success. We published practical guidance on tackling staff-to-student sexual misconduct, published new recommendations as part of our suicide-safer universities work, and presented data on the impact of the cost of living crisis on students.
- International students. We responded to speculation that the UK government may cut international student numbers or remove the Graduate route visa, Universities UK International published a report on the impact of international students to the UK economy, and we relaunched the #WeAreInternational campaign.
Find out more about our recent achievements: Our work 2022–23