Stay up to date with our work
Our monthly updates are a great way for you to stay up to date with our work, events, and higher education news.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Closer to home, academic research and analysis provides local governments and communities with a robust evidence base to inform public policy.
Universities support many creative and cultural activities. These generate exciting intellectual and artistic scenes that, in turn, attract other creative minds.
Universities drive innovation and entrepreneurship. In partnership with government and business, academic research and technologies help an array of vital industries thrive.
Our core activities include:
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:
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 achievements in the past year include:
Find out more about our recent achievements: Our work 2022–23
Our monthly updates are a great way for you to stay up to date with our work, events, and higher education news.