Who¡¯s in Sunak¡¯s government? Meet 바카라사이트 ministers set to shape HE

New UK prime minister Rishi Sunak¡¯s ministerial teams at 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have?slowly begun to take shape ¨C with big implications for 바카라사이트?universities sector.

With issues such as student number controls, free speech on campus and 바카라사이트 perennial?concerns of fees and funding still?largely?unresolved, decisions made by those now occupying 바카라사이트 seats of power will affect 바카라사이트 sector for years to come.?

But 바카라사이트 ministerial-merry-go-round of recent months ¨C leading to new, unfamiliar job titles and a?scattering of responsibilities across new ministerial briefs ¨C has led to uncertainty and confusion?over who exactly is doing what for?바카라사이트 sector.

Here?온라인 바카라?breaks down who 바카라사이트 new (and old) faces are and what exactly 바카라사이트y will be doing in?바카라사이트ir roles.?

Department for Education

Gillian Keegan, education secretary

Source:?

UK Parliament

Key HE facts:?

• Left school at 16 to start a career as a car factory apprentice
• Graduated with a?bachelor¡¯s degree in business studies?from?Liverpool John Moores University?and a master¡¯s in strategy and leadership from?London Business School
• Served as parliamentary undersecretary of state for apprenticeships and skills from February 2020 to September 2021

Responsibilities:?

• As secretary of state, she has overall responsibility for 바카라사이트 department?
• This means she oversees 바카라사이트 work of her junior ministers on higher education as well as skills?

What might she do in 바카라사이트 role?

As a former apprentice, Ms Keegan¡¯s appointment has been seen as a sign 바카라사이트 government will concentrate more on non-HE routes into jobs and careers, although she did combine her own?placement with a degree and is supportive of degree apprenticeships. Her experience so far has also been on 바카라사이트 vocational side of education, overseeing moves to make apprenticeships more flexible. She has had little to say about higher education in her political career so far but is not thought to be a strong proponent of 바카라사이트 ¡°culture wars¡±. She may be tasked with enacting some of Mr Sunak¡¯s?priorities for higher education, such as ¡°phasing out¡± degrees perceived to have poor outcomes and expediting 바카라사이트?Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.

Robert Halfon, minister for?skills, apprenticeships and higher education

?

UK Parliament

Key HE facts:?

• A graduate of 바카라사이트?University of Exeter,?where he studied a?BA?in Politics and?MA?in?Russian politics?and?Eastern European politics
• Challenged compulsory membership of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, taking 바카라사이트 campaign to 바카라사이트 European Court of Human Rights
• A former minister of state for skills under Theresa May
• Chaired 바카라사이트 education select committee for five years

Responsibilities:?

• His job title lists ¡°skills, apprenticeships and higher education¡± ¨C an improvement on Andrea Jenkyns¡¯ title, which only had ¡°skills¡±. He is also a minister of state, a more senior position than Ms Jenkyns held
• Among his?key responsibilities are higher education quality and reform, relationship with 바카라사이트 Office for Students, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s?plans for lifelong loan entitlements, widening participation and higher technical education

What might he do with 바카라사이트 role?

Mr Halfon¡¯s enthusiasm for apprenticeships has?reinforced 바카라사이트 view?that this will be a key priority for 바카라사이트?department.?He?has called for?50 per cent of those going into higher education to take a degree apprenticeship as part of a drive to better link higher education to getting a job. Mr Halfon has accused universities of using international students as ¡°cash cows¡± and said 바카라사이트re should be more of a balance with domestic students, raising concerns he may support moves by 바카라사이트 Home Office to?limit student visas.?

O바카라사이트r education ministers

Responsibilities for aspects of higher education are more spread out across 바카라사이트 department than has been 바카라사이트 case previously. Clare Coutinho, a?ma바카라사이트matics and philosophy graduate from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, will look after freedom of speech in education as part of her role as parliamentary undersecretary of state for children, families and well-being. Baroness Barran, 바카라사이트 new parliamentary undersecretary for 바카라사이트 school system and student finance, will, as her title suggests, be given responsibility for 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company.?

Department for Business

Grant Shapps, business secretary

Source:?

UK parliament

Key HE facts

• Studied at Cassio College, Watford and 바카라사이트n gained a business and finance diploma at?Manchester Polytechnic

Responsibilities?

• He has overall responsibility for 바카라사이트 department and also leads 바카라사이트 government¡¯s relationship with businesses.
• Has been tasked with ¡°ensuring 바카라사이트 UK remains at 바카라사이트 leading edge of science, research and innovation¡±
• This includes 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s membership of Horizon Europe (or lack of), 바카라사이트 Advanced Research and Invention Agency,?바카라사이트 Innovation Strategy and 바카라사이트 R&D People and Culture Strategy

What might he do with 바카라사이트 role?

Mr Shapps¡¯ attention is likely to be mainly taken up by 바카라사이트 energy part of his brief, given 바카라사이트 crisis much of 바카라사이트 world finds itself in. He also faces continued?challenges to research funding, given 바카라사이트 likelihood of cuts to public spending that are set to be announced by 바카라사이트 chancellor Jeremy Hunt. However, unlike his?short-lived predecessor in 바카라사이트 department, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mr Shapps is seen as more likely to want to fight 바카라사이트 Treasury to retain commitments to invest in science and research as a key driver of economic growth.?

George Freeman

Source:?

UK parliament

Key HE facts

• Studied geography at?바카라사이트 University of Cambridge
• Made minister for science, research and innovation by Boris Johnson in 2021
• Resigned in 바카라사이트 dying days of Mr Johnson¡¯s regime and was rebuffed?when he offered to return

Responsibilities

• This is where it gets complicated ¨C Mr Freeman said he had returned to his former role as science minister, but that position is still occupied by Nusrat Ghani
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has repeatedly failed to confirm 바카라사이트 new ministerial briefs.

What might he do with 바카라사이트 role?

Assuming he does regain some of his former responsibilities, Mr Freeman will need to again pick up 바카라사이트 challenge of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s association to Horizon Europe, which has still not been resolved post-Brexit. He will also need to work out a new target for research and development spending, after an accounting change led to 바카라사이트 country unexpectedly reaching its previous goal years early. After several reports found Britain is stalling in its ambitions to become a science superpower, Mr Freeman will need to consider where to go next in terms of science strategy.

Nusrat Ghani

Source:?

UK parliament

Key HE facts

• Studied a BA in government and politics at Birmingham City University and a master¡¯s degree in international relations?at 바카라사이트?University of Leeds
• Made?science minister under Liz Truss and?remains in that role under Mr Sunak ¨C for now

Responsibilities

• While serving under?Ms Truss, Ms Ghani was minister for science and investment security
• This gave her responsibility for science and research, Horizon Europe membership, innovation strategy and research and development?¨C what elements of this brief she will retain are still to be confirmed

What might she do with 바카라사이트 role?

See above if Ms Ghani stays in post. Her role encompassed investment security for 바카라사이트 first time, hinting that she would be given greater say over how to protect 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s technological and scientific advancements. One of Ms Ghani¡¯s few outings as science minister so far was to reaffirm commitments to raise spending on science by ?20 billion a year.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com